Despite having no success in acquiring any federal funding for summer students workers the past two years, the Town of Ponoka is once again applying for the grant, hoping to be noticed this time.
“We just hire anyway,” said communications officer Donna Brinkworth.
In 2012, the provincial Summer Temporary Employment Program was cut and municipalities have been left with only the Canadian Summer Jobs Grant, which has not proven lucrative for the town.
While the provincial program was still available, Ponoka did receive grant funding from it.
Each year, the town employs approximately 10 summer students for a variety of jobs. “I think the town likes to employ summer students, there’s a lot of opportunities for them,” said Brinkworth.
Students hired generally work in operations, parks and the Ponoka Tourist Information Centre.
Even though the town is paying for the extra workers itself, Brinkworth says it is agreed that it will be better for the town in the long run. “I think that Ponoka wants to keep its youth here. If they have employment here and go to school here, maybe they’ll stay here.”
“We want them to feel like they have something to stay here for,” she added. “I think it looks good for the town too.”
Brinkworth says the student workers are able to provide fresh insight into some of the town’s operations. Being new to her position last year, Brinkworth had the idea of introducing new social media techniques to the town; she says the younger student employees were the first ones on board to see the benefits.