Woodstock, New Brunswick, October 12, 2011—The Government of Canada is helping Aboriginal people in New Brunswick get the skills they need to find and keep good jobs.
Mr. Mike Allen, Member of Parliament for Tobique-Mactaquac, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, today announced support for the St. John River Valley Tribal Council’s Maliseet Health Careers Training Program.
“Our government’s top priority is jobs and the economy. We know that in a constantly evolving labour market, it’s important that Canadians get the skills and training they need to succeed,” said Mr. Allen. “This is why we work with partners to ensure Aboriginal people are able to take full advantage of economic opportunities.”
Through the St. John River Valley Tribal Council’s program, 37 Aboriginal people will get training and work experience in three health care professions: licensed practical nurse, personal support worker and allied health. With help from its partners, the program will also offer internships to participants to provide workplace training experience and to increase the employment prospects of its graduates.
The Government of Canada is providing $1,245,882 under the Skills and Partnership Fund. In addtion, New Brunswick’s Horizon Health Network, New Brunswick Community College and the New Brunswick Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, will make contributions of $502,600, bringing the total to $1,748,482 for this initiative over three years.
The Skills and Partnership Fund is part of the Government’s approach to help First Nations, Métis and Inuit people 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. It also supports key Government of Canada priorities, such as the Digital Economy Strategy.
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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 Development Canada
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 inCanada’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.
