Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse ac nulla ac turpis porta convallis nec id quam. Aliquam tempor lacus suscipit erat convallis a porta lacus auctor. Donec non arcu vitae est semper lobortis a vel felis. Pellentesque justo nulla, auctor in fermentum commodo, porttitor ut ligula. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Ut eu arcu turpis. Fusce vel nibh ac nunc pretium fermentum sit amet vitae purus. Nulla ac turpis ut tellus placerat suscipit. Nunc risus ligula, posuere vel cursus non, condimentum et risus. Quisque venenatis fermentum lorem ac rutrum.

Reduce Fees

Proin dignissim, lorem ut vestibulum pellentesque, justo massa venenatis tortor, sed blandit dui odio sed neque. Integer gravida sapien ac libero hendrerit malesuada. Etiam dignissim viverra hendrerit. Etiam vel urna sollicitudin tortor rutrum gravida sit amet ut ante. Maecenas massa enim, tincidunt bibendum vehicula quis, placerat eget neque. Integer pellentesque, dolor vel aliquam ullamcorper, lacus dolor sagittis magna, sed imperdiet elit odio a eros. In a orci vel odio varius vulputate ut eget tortor.

Improve Student Aid

Integer ligula diam, hendrerit nec hendrerit sed, aliquet sed risus. Cras ultrices cursus eros quis laoreet. Integer aliquet hendrerit malesuada. Vestibulum et diam quam, at ornare neque. Nam mattis, tellus sit amet euismod mattis, nibh magna vulputate mauris, a fermentum lorem nulla et nibh. Curabitur nec ipsum nec diam tristique fringilla et eget mi. Vestibulum ut ipsum erat. Aliquam et metus vel libero volutpat viverra ornare et nisi. Nulla facilisi.

Dear sisters and brothers,

On behalf of the over half-million members of the Canadian Federation of Students, I wish to express our support and solidarity in the wake of the tragic events of July 22, 2011, in Oslo and Utoya Island.

The scope of the tragedy is incomprehensible and we struggle to imagine the loss and pain that you are confronted with. Please accept our condolences for the families and friends of the victims.

We wish to openly express our support, in part because some of the targets of the attacks were the engaged youth of your country. As students, we are part of the movement of young people who believe that the world can be made a better place and who translate this belief into various campaigns and actions. The reality that young people were targeted because they are active, involved, and politically motivated is abhorrent to everything for which we work towards.

We offer support and solidarity from the Canadian student movement and wish you all the strength required to continue the struggle for justice and peace.

In solidarity,

Roxanne Dubois
National Chairperson

Contact: Roxanne Dubois
Tel: (613)232-7394

“We are reaching the end of the summer and many students have still not found work,” said Roxanne Dubois, National Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. “Students who have been unlucky in their job hunt this summer will face difficult choices this September given record-high tuition fees.”

Tuition fees have grown to become the single largest expense for most university and college students with average domestic tuition fees of $5,138 per year. Students currently owe near $15 billion to the federal government alone.

The situation is even worse for younger students aged 17 to 19 who are facing an unemployment rate of 17.6%.

“Younger students, who are just starting their studies, are facing very grim employment prospects and a precarious financial situation,” said Dubois. “Despite some minor gains in the job market since the recession, student employment remains too high. The federal government has failed to provide necessary student employment support, and with tuition fees continuing to rise because of lack of funding, student debt will continue to increase unsustainably.”

Founded in 1981, the Canadian Federation of Students is Canada’s largest student organization, uniting more that one-half million students from ten provinces.

Contact: Roxanne Dubois
Tel: (613) 232-7394

The unemployment rate for Canadians between the ages of 15 and 24 now stands at 14.1%-a level almost twice that of the overall national average. The figure still does not account for the thousands of youth who are underemployed and often working part-time jobs at wages too low to cover the basic costs of living. In fact, in July alone, 22,200 full-time jobs for Canadians 15–24 were eliminated, while 24,600 part-time jobs were created. The problem is amplified by a growing number of Canadians, 55 and older, who either cannot afford to retire or have had to re-enter the labour market, thus making it even more difficult for young workers to find good, first-time jobs. Without decent, full-time work many young Canadians simply cannot get a good start.

Many young Canadians also rely on public post-secondary education to acquire the skills and training they need for today’s job market. However, as a result of cuts to public funding in the past three decades, more and more of the costs of post-secondary education have been downloaded onto the backs of students and their families through massive increases in tuition fees. Average tuition fees increased four-fold between 1990 and 2010, forcing students to take on unprecedented levels of student debt and preventing thousands of youth from pursuing education. Young Canadians are not only entering the labour market at some of the highest unemployment levels in 30 years, but also with levels of debt higher than ever before.

Well-funded and high-quality public services are essential for youth as they transition into both post-secondary education and into the workforce. Employment programs, child care, health care, shelters, and affordable education are critical to young Canadians reaching their full potential as students and as workers.
They are also essential in ensuring that all youth have equal opportunities regardless of their socio-economic background. However, across the country these very services are facing cuts at a time when youth need them more than ever.

Aboriginal youth are especially vulnerable to cuts to public services. As Canada’s fastest growing demographic, Aboriginal youth are essential to Canada’s future economic stability and growth. However, cuts to social programs and the unfair cap on the Aboriginal student grants program, the Post-Secondary Student Support Program, mean that many Aboriginal youth cannot receive the training and educational programs they need to secure decent work.

On this day, the CLC and the CFS call for adequately funded and high-quality public services in order to make sure that youth in Canada have a fair chance.

The Canadian Labour Congress, the national voice of the labour movement, represents 3.2 million Canadian workers. The CLC brings together Canada’s national and international unions along with the provincial and territorial federations of labour and 130 district labour councils.
Web site: www.canadianlabour.ca

The Canadian Federation of Students unites more that one-half million students in all ten provinces. The Canadian Federation of Students and its predecessor organizations have represented students in Canada since 1927.
Web site: www.cfs-fcee.ca

Contacts:
Roxanne Dubois, National Chairperson,
Canadian Federation of Students: 613-232-7394

Karina Sihota, Young Workers Representative,
Canadian Labour Congress: 613-521-3400 x 234

Contact: Roxanne Dubois
Tel: 613-232-7394

Having spoken a number of times throughout the years at student rallies and actions, most recently at a petition delivery in November 2010 calling for increased federal funding for post-secondary education, Layton was clear and consistent in his support for students and for education. Layton’s political leadership and lifetime activism impacted the lives of youth and students across Canada. His tenor and passion for social justice will be missed.

The Canadian Federation of Students extend our deepest sympathy to all of those touched by his work and character and offer condolences during this difficult period.

Contact: Roxanne Dubois
Tel: (613)232-7394

Provincial Office

8 Lemarchant Road
St. John’s, NL
A1C 2G5
Tel: (709) 737-3204
Fax: (709) 737-2371
Web: http://www.cfs-nl.ca/
E-mail: organiser@cfs-nl.ca