OTTAWA, ONTARIO, September 24, 2009-Today, the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, announced projects that will be supported through the regional component of the Aboriginal Skills and Training Strategic Investment Fund. These projects will provide training opportunities for 5800 Aboriginal individuals and create 2100 jobs in a variety of sectors, such as health, aviation, trucking, construction and forestry, among others.
"The Government of Canada is committed to helping First Nations, Métis and Inuit share fully in economic opportunities. We are providing a hand up to Aboriginal people who need it in these tough economic times through targeted investments to help them improve their skills and secure long-term jobs," said Minister Finley.
Canada's Economic Action Plan provides $75 million for the Aboriginal Skills and Training Strategic Investment Fund over two years, which will help create opportunities for Canadian workers through skills development during the global economic downturn. The Fund will strengthen partnerships between Aboriginal organizations and employers to help Aboriginal people gain the skills they need for the labour market today and for the jobs of the future.
Through the Fund, the Government of Canada has approved 70 short-term projects of various sizes across the country for First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. Some projects will test innovative approaches to delivering Aboriginal labour market programming, while others may provide training for individuals facing barriers to employment, such as low literacy. All projects will be completed by March 31, 2011.
As part of Canada's Economic Action Plan, the Government is also investing an additional $100 million over three years in the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership program to help Aboriginal people participate in the workforce and obtain the training they need to secure skilled jobs.
More information is available on the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada Web site at www.hrsdc.gc.ca.
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This news release is available online at www.actionplan.gc.ca.
For further information (media only):
Michelle Bakos
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
819-994-5559
Aboriginal Skills and Training Strategic Investment Fund
Aboriginal Skills and Training Strategic Investment Fund projects were selected using an application process. These projects will identify and implement distinct, short-term, focused initiatives designed to help Aboriginal people get the specific skills they require to benefit from economic opportunities.
The Fund has a regional and a national component. The regional component supports training-to-employment projects, skills development projects and service improvement projects on a regional basis.
The national component of the Fund will be used to support initiatives that are national in scope and partnership-based (Aboriginal organizations, governments, sector councils, and national training and employment groups, etc.), and will result in the development of tools, services or promising practices that will enhance the range of client and business services provided under the successor strategy to the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Strategy.
Funded projects will be announced in fall 2009. Projects are funded for a maximum of 18 months, and all projects must end on March 31, 2011.
