December 18, 2008
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Winnipeg's Aboriginal youth will benefit from more than $640,000 in funding through the Winnipeg Partnership Agreement (WPA). This investment will support 11 projects that focus on helping Aboriginal youth to succeed through education, employment training, career development, leadership, and skills training.
The funding was announced today by the Honourable Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board, on behalf of The Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification; and His Worship Sam Katz, Mayor of Winnipeg, and Flor Marcelino, MLA for Wellington on behalf of the Honourable Steve Ashton, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs at a special ceremony at the Eagle's Nest Aboriginal Youth Resource Centre, one of the organizations receiving the funding.
"Our Government is taking steps to ensure that Aboriginal youth have the tools they need to succeed. This includes education, employment training, and career development," said Minister Toews. "We recognize the importance of fostering skills development to ensure that Aboriginal Canadians fully share in economic opportunities."
"By investing in a comprehensive Aboriginal Youth Strategy, we are showing our commitment to seizing the asset that is the Aboriginal community and providing our young people with opportunity and positive alternatives," said Mayor Sam Katz. "These programs will help our youth develop skills, gain valuable work experience, and provide them with the tools necessary to find long term success."
"These projects are great examples of many innovative projects funded through the Winnipeg Partnership Agreement under the Aboriginal Participation component," said MLA Marcelino. "The component promotes economic development, training and employment or health and wellness opportunities for Winnipeg's Aboriginal citizens."
Aboriginal people face unique challenges to participate fully in and benefit from economic opportunities. The projects funded today demonstrate the Winnipeg Partnership Agreement's support for Winnipeg's Aboriginal residents and offer Aboriginal organizations a means to participate fully through greater economic opportunities for Aboriginal individuals and communities.
"Eagles Nest, emanating from the Task Force on Youth Protection, promises to be a very important initiative for our young people. It will provide programs in traditional culture, self-concept, computer skills, and most important, the employability skills so important in today's society," said Ron Evans, Grand Chief, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.
The funds announced today come from Component I - Aboriginal Participation, of the Winnipeg Partnership Agreement. This program recognizes and builds upon economic development, training and employment or health and wellness opportunities for Winnipeg's Aboriginal citizens. Since 2004, the Winnipeg Partnership Agreement has invested an estimated $15 million in Aboriginal Participation projects representing 117 projects.
The Winnipeg Partnership Agreement was signed in May 2004 by the three levels of government and funded with $75 million based on equal contributions of $25 million from the Government of Canada, the Province of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg.
The WPA has provided support to more than 220 projects that have strengthened the fabric of Winnipeg's communities by identifying the means to increase community capacity, renew the downtown core and older residential neighbourhoods, improve opportunities for urban Aboriginal peoples, and encourage sustainable economic development through innovation and technology. WPA funding has levered an estimated $60 million in other investments.
For more information, contact:
Charlene MacDonald
A/Regional Manager, Communications
Western Economic Diversification Canada
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(204) 983-6243
Graham Gork
Communications Coordinator
Communications Services Manitoba
(204) 945-5795
City of Winnipeg
Media Enquiries
(204) 986-6000
WD Toll-Free Number:1 888 338-WEST (9378)
Website: WD is online at www.wd-deo.gc.ca.
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Backgrounder
Winnipeg Partnership Agreement Aboriginal Youth Strategy Funding Announcement
- Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC), $146,500*
Delivered by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and community partners, the Eagle's Nest Aboriginal Youth Resource and Recreation Centre will engage up to 75 Aboriginal Youth (ages 15-30) in leadership developmental activities over a three-month period that will enable them to transition towards successful participation in continued education or employment. (*$46,500 WPA and $100,000 City of Winnipeg (Mayor's Office)
- Boys and Girls Club of Winnipeg, $20,000
The Boys and Girls Club of Winnipeg's Youth Activity Worker Program provides formal education, training, work experience and life skill development to inner-city adults between the ages of 18 and 29 over a ten-week period, empowering them to further their education and ultimately obtain work in community agencies helping other youth. WPA funding will provide 16 young adults with a combination of training and work experience that is transferable to the Child and Youth Care Program at Red River College.
- The Broadway Neighbourhood Centre (BNC), $41,380
The Broadway Neighbourhood Centre's Just TV: A Youth Development Skills project is designed to help at-risk youth get out and stay out of gangs, to become more employable and to gain and sustain employment. The program provides 12 to 16 at-risk youth the opportunity to act in, direct and produce a video and develop other artistic talents based on their own interests and life experiences.
- Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc., $131,230
The Aboriginal Mother Centre Honouring Gifts project will work with 18 Aboriginal young mothers under the age of 30 to make changes that will have an impact on themselves and the lives of their children to eventually break the cycle of dependency on social programs. The mothers will receive individualized life planning and career development support through a combination of cultural and family activities, employment based training, a series of three internship placements and the completion of individual career action plans.
- Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Inc., $16,233
Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Inc. is providing a one-year internship to an Aboriginal youth through its Communication Trainee Project. The youth will receive training and work experience in the areas of public relations, marketing, corporate communications, special events, fundraising and community presentations. The program fills a need for training identified by Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Inc. through community consultation.
- Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Inc., $107,331
The Future is Yours project will provide 30 at-risk youth between the ages of 12 and 19 with employability skills, volunteer experience, job shadowing, personal development, and Aboriginal cultural awareness to improve their employment potential. The program will prepare youth for the City of Winnipeg annual summer hiring in February/March 2009 for stat Urban Green Team beginning in April 2009 and employment opportunities in the private and non-profit sectors.
- The Resource Assistance for Youth, $82,745
The Resource Assistance for Youth's Home Grown program provides youth, most of who are Aboriginal or homeless, with casual jobs combined with supportive programming with multiple partners throughout the West Broadway community. Youth may work up to three hours a day in a three-tiered program that provides support and supervision dependent on their needs, leading to their readiness to leave the program and enter the labour market independently.
- The Spence Neighbourhood Association, $30,912
The Spence Neighbourhood Association's First Jobs 4 Youth Project assists neighbourhood youth to find and keep employment. The project will provide 10 youth with job skills training, part time summer employment and a part time fall work placement with a local business.
- Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre, $21,775
The LifeSport initiative will expose Aboriginal youth to a variety of sports as athletes, coaches and officials, while breaking down the barriers that prevent many of them from participating fully in sports and recreation.
- Aboriginal Leadership Institute Inc., $99,370
The Aboriginal Construction Technology Program is a 36-week program to prepare participants for employment in the construction industry, help them develop an understanding of the safe work site and gain experience to pursue a career in the construction field.
- The Crossing Communities Art Project, $43,558
The Hip Hop Youth Violence Prevention Project will bring together a diverse group of at- risk youth from the inner city of Winnipeg and northern Manitoba in a training course designed to encourage them to stay at school and to develop employment skills.
