The manager of a program that helps people get into the workforce and off social services is hopeful it will continue after the province scrapped its funding.
The Urban Canvas Project, put on by Saskatoon Community Youth Arts Programming, is a 39-week program geared toward 16- to 30-year-olds.
Participants are paid an allowance and learn skills to help them get into the workforce or school.
“We’ve had a 90 per cent success rate,” Clay Shaw, operations manager at SCYAP, said.
“Unfortunately without a major sponsor, we can’t go forward with having this project anymore.”
The provincial government funds SCYAP’s core costs, like rent, but pulled its Urban Canvas Project funding shortly after its budget last spring.
“We have people calling and emailing quite frequently because they hear about the project and they’re looking for some doors to be open for them, but we have to inform them that’s not an option this year,” Shaw said.
Shaw is looking to other sources of funding to keep the program going, but is hopeful the province will fund its program to keep it running this year.
