A government program to help businesses develop their e-commerce business and to help students obtain intern positions in information technology was unveiled Friday.

The Small Business Internship Program, discussed by Palliser Member of Parliament Ray Boughen at a press conference at the University of Regina, will provide 75 per cent wage subsidies, for up to 12 weeks, for small and medium-sized businesses that hire interns to work on e-commerce and information technology projects.

"It is vital in these times of economic instability that we do what-ever we can to help small business, which account for so many jobs in Regina,'' Boughen said.

"The program will help numerous small businesses here in Regina grow,'' Boughen added. But it is also important "to ensure that Regina's youth will have the skills and experience to take advantage of the opportunities that will arise as the economy improves,'' Boughen said.

The program is expected to provide about 400 internship positions per year across Canada. About 65 positions will be provided to students in a large area of Western Canada which includes Regina. The program will receive $17.5 million in funding, through 2014, as part of the federal governments youth employment strategy.

Announcement of the program would appear to be more good news for University of Regina students and other post-secondary students in Saskatchewan, which is a province that has substantially avoided the effects of the recession that has hit most of the rest of Canada and the world.

Kevin Bolen, the manager of career services at the University of Regina, said the internship and industry co-operative programs at the university have not been significantly hurt by the economic turmoil. A total of 629 students were placed in intern positions last year, Bolen said. The university expects to meet or exceed that total this year, he added. The average pay for students receiving those intern positions is about $2,700 per month, Bolen said.

While the Saskatchewan market is generally strong for students looking for intern positions, Bolen said there has been some reductions in the intern positions available in the Alberta oil patch. But many of those students who might otherwise have interned in Alberta are finding a position in Saskatchewan's booming economy, Bolen said.

There have also been reductions in the number of intern positions available in the news media, which has been suffering hard economic times, Bolen noted.