JUNIOR AMBASSADORS TRAINING IN SASKATOON

About 50 students from across Saskatchewan will start the journey toward being international ambassadors at a two-day event in Saskatoon May 3rd and 4th.

The students are participating in an ambassador training session held at the University of Saskatchewan to learn more about international trade and how to promote their province in markets around the world. The workshop is organized by the Junior Team Canada Program and sponsored by Industry and Resources, Gravelbourg company Trail Tech and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

"Junior Team Canada helps students learn more about international trade by giving them the opportunity to directly participate in a trade mission and meet with business people in other countries," Industry and Resources Minister Eric Cline said. "We are proud to be one of the sponsors of such a worthwhile endeavor."

Students who attend one of the 16 regional training sessions offered across Canada this year could apply to be one of the 40 students selected to join the Junior Team Canada trade mission to China in August 2004. Last year, four Saskatchewan students were chosen to be part of a trade mission to Mexico based on the quality of the mission proposal they submitted.

"This program gives me the opportunity to explore the international business community," Junior Team Canada member Mark Hobbs, who was one of the students to visit Mexico on the last mission, said. "It makes you realize the importance of Saskatchewan and the role I can play in promoting it."

The Saskatchewan regional training session will feature presentations by exporters and trade officials on how to run a successful exporting operation, as well as information about the province's economy. On Tuesday, May 4th, Junior Team Canada and the University of Saskatchewan will host a networking luncheon where the participants can meet Saskatoon business leaders.

Junior Team Canada was created and operated by Global Vision, an Ottawa-based non-profit organization.

"The participation from Saskatchewan gets stronger every year," Global Vision President Terry Clifford said. "We have found that the students from Saskatchewan have all the qualities we are looking for in an ambassador – a strong work ethic, an openness to learn more about other countries and cultures, and the desire to share what they have learned with their communities at home."

Since Global Vision started Junior Team Canada in 1991, more than 6,000 students have participated in the training centre program and 500 have participated in the trade missions abroad. Young people ages 16-25 are eligible to apply for the training. More information is available at www.gvconnects.com.

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For More Information, Contact:

Bob Ellis Industry and Resources Regina Phone: (306) 787-8277