Alberta Labour Minister Christina Gray spent the day touring Cochrane Wednesday to see how the NDP’s revival of the Summer Temporary Employment Program (STEP) was working in the community.
“We have also made (the program) available to small businesses,” said Gray, explaining that this is a first for the STEP - a program that allows employers to hire students by offsetting employment costs through grant dollars.
Cochrane has a number of employers participating in the STEP program for the 2016/17 year including the Town of Cochrane with five employees; Great Things In Store with three; The Crossing at Ghost Lake with two; Bow RiversEdge Campground with two; and Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre (SLSFSC) with three.
For SLSFSC, the $12,500 grant has allowed the facility to keep summer camp tuition rates affordable.
“Without the grant we would have to increase the fees ... which we don’t want to do,” explained SLSFSC assistant general manager Brian Neave.
