Government Of Canada Partners With Okanagan Ktunaxa Aboriginal Management Society To Support Employment Training For Aboriginal People

KELOWNA, BRITISH COLUMBIA – Sept. 28, 2009 – Today, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, Mr. Ron Cannan, Member of Parliament for Kelowna-Lake Country, announced that the Government of Canada will help 42 Aboriginal people secure jobs through the Journey to Successful Employment project under the regional component of the Aboriginal Skills and Training Strategic Investment Fund.”Aboriginal people are a vital part of the Government of Canada’s efforts to help foster the best educated, the most skilled and the most flexible workforce in the world,” said Mr. Cannan. “With the advanced training and partnerships provided by the Okanagan Ktunaxa Aboriginal Management Society, First Nations people of the Okanagan area will gain the skills they need to participate in the labour market today and the jobs of the future.”

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 through skills development during the global economic downturn. The Journey to Successful Employment project will receive $1.64 million, and is one of 70 projects that will provide training opportunities for 5800 Aboriginal individuals and create 2100 jobs. Through the Fund, the Government of Canada will help Aboriginal people gain the specific skills needed to benefit from economic opportunities in a variety of sectors, such as health, aviation, trucking, construction and forestry.

The Journey to Successful Employment project supports enhanced employability training for Aboriginal people facing multiple barriers to employment in the Okanagan area. The project will provide basic literacy and essential skills training and address other specific needs to facilitate the transition to employment of 42 Aboriginal people.

Through the Fund, the Government of Canada has approved 70 short-term projects of various sizes across the country for First Nations, Metis 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.

More information is available on the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada Web site at http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/home.shtml

This news release is available online at www.actionplan.gc.ca

BACKGROUNDER

Aboriginal Skills and Training Strategic Investment Fund

Aboriginal Skills and Training Strategic Investment Fund projects were selected using an application process. The projects that fall under this fund represent initiatives of various sizes, and will test innovative ideas and approaches to delivering Aboriginal labour market programming. They may also provide training for individuals facing barriers to employment, such as low literacy and a lack of essential skills for employment.

The Fund has a regional and a national component. The regional component supports training-to-employment, skills development 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.

Projects are funded for a maximum of 18 months, and all projects must end on March 31, 2011.

For more information, please contact

Office of Minister Finley
Michelle Bakos
Press Secretary
819-994-2482

or

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Media Relations Office
819-994-5559