Truro, Nova Scotia, October 28, 2011—A Government of Canada investment will help 100 Aboriginal people in Nova Scotia get the training and skills development that they need to get and keep good jobs.
Mr. Scott Armstrong, Member of Parliament for Cumberland–Colchester–Musquodoboit Valley, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, today announced support for the Native Council of Nova Scotia’s Building Aboriginal Skills to Employment (BASE) and Driving Towards Industry Service Standards projects.
“Our government’s top priority is jobs and the economic recovery. In a constantly evolving labour market, it’s important that Canadians get the skills and training they need to succeed,” said Mr. Armstrong. “This is why we work with partners, such as the Native Council of Nova Scotia, to ensure Aboriginal people are able to take full advantage of economic opportunities.”
The Native Council of Nova Scotia’s projects will increase Aboriginal people’s participation in the labour market by providing them with training and skills development opportunities. The training will provide fundamentals on earth moving, truck driving, motor coach driving, mobile crane operations, automotive service repair, basic survival training, training in environmental monitoring, as well as training for environmental site assessment assistants.
The Government of Canada is providing $2,625,349 under the Skills and Partnership Fund. In addition to the Government of Canada, funding will be delivered by the Native Council of Nova Scotia, Encana, Nova Scotia Community College, Atlantic Petroleum Training College, Survival Systems Training Ltd, the Trucking Human Resource Sector Council Atlantic, the Automotive Sector Council of Nova Scotia, Rise Consulting Group and the International Union of Operating Engineers Training School.
"These programs will enhance our existing Aboriginal Peoples Training & Employment Commission services to offer a broader suite of employer services and outreach. This will result in a flexible range of employment activities and will foster partnerships throughout the life of the program," said Grace Conrad, Chief of the Native Council of Nova Scotia. "Our goal will be to increase the number of Aboriginal people who are training and employed in self-sustaining careers relevant to the oil and gas and automotive industries."
The Skills and Partnership Fund is part of the Government’s approach to help First Nations, Métis and Inuit get training and work experience to secure sustainable, meaningful employment. It is intended to encourage innovation in Aboriginal training-to-employment products and service delivery.
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This news release is available in alternative formats on request.
For further information (media only):
Alyson Queen
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills DevelopmentCanada
819-994-5559
Launched in July 2010, the Skills and Partnership Fund encourages Aboriginal organizations to create partnerships with government, business and community organizations that drive change, improve skills training and create opportunities for Aboriginal people.
The Government of Canada is investing $210 million over five years in this partnership-based, opportunity driven fund. The Fund supports projects that encourage innovation, test new approaches and address systemic gaps in the delivery of employment services for Aboriginal Canadians to ensure this growing population can fully share in economic opportunities. All Aboriginal organizations are eligible to apply for funding under the program.
The Skills and Partnership Fund builds on the success of earlier Aboriginal employment programs. It responds to the changing needs and priorities of the labour market while providing opportunities for Aboriginal people to fully participate in Canada’s economy.
The Government of Canada also supports the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy, which is an integrated approach to Aboriginal labour market programming that links training to labour market demand. The Strategy supports more than 80 Aboriginal organizations in the delivery of programs and services to increase Aboriginal participation in the Canadian labour market. It focuses on three strategic priorities: supporting skills development; fostering partnerships with the private sector and the provinces and territories; and accountability and results. The program was launched in April 2010 with funding of $1.6 billion over five years.
