OTTAWA, Jan. 21, 2015 /CNW/ - Rob Clarke, Member of Parliament for Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, on behalf of the Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, announced that 120 First Nation youth associated with the Agency Chiefs Tribal Council in Saskatchewan will receive personalized job readiness supports.
Across the country, First Nation youth from 70 communities are currently participating and succeeding in job readiness activities. These measures are designed to ensure that participating youth are equipped with the tools and opportunities they need to increase their employability so they can successfully join the workforce and reduce reliance on Income Assistance.
This past summer, Minister Valcourt and Parliamentary Secretary Mark Strahl held roundtables across the country to hear from First Nation youth already participating in job readiness activities and to learn how they are benefiting from the program. By investing in First Nation youth, our Government is taking concrete steps to help build more prosperous, self-sufficient First Nation communities.
Quick Facts
- In Saskatchewan, 28 First Nations are currently active in the program. With the new additions, a total of 41 First Nations will be taking advantage of this program for youth in their communities.
- First Nation youth on-reserve, who are between the ages of 18 and 24, are receiving personalized job and skills training as part of changes to the Income Assistance program. Economic Action Plan 2013 included $132 million to support Enhanced Service Delivery and $109 million for the First Nations Job Fund.
- Participants have access to a range of services and programs aimed at increasing their job prospects and supporting them as they move into the workforce, including: basic life-skills and literacy training, skills training and career counseling.
- This year, 4,606 First Nation youth are taking advantage of Enhanced Service Delivery, which provides a case-management approach to indentifying barriers they may face in obtaining a job and establishes a plan to overcome them.
Quotes
"Our Government firmly believes that First Nations should have the same opportunities as all Canadians to find, keep and enjoy the benefits of a good job; that's why this program is so important. It provides personalized job readiness support for First Nation youth associated with the Agency Chiefs Tribal Council, and across the country, so they can successfully take advantage of the economic prosperity of this country."
Bernard Valcourt
Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
"Our Government continues to take concrete steps to create the conditions for prosperous, self-sufficient First Nation communities. Investing in personalized job readiness support will lead to greater First Nation participation in the economy, healthier First Nation communities and a stronger Canada."
Rob Clarke
Member of Parliament for Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River
"First Nations youth have the capability to fully participate in the Canadian economy. For decades, our youth have had challenges establishing themselves in the modern workforce. Often due to systematic hindrances brought on by poorly thought out policies and practices of previous Canadian Governments. However, today, we are seeing real action from this Government to address these inequities. I think that this government recognizes that our Youth deserve a level playing field and government involvement is sometimes what is required to accomplish that. Success breeds success and the time is here for First Nations Youth to have a chance to obtain success, just like any other person in this Country."
Glenn Johnstone
Director of Operations, Agency Chiefs Tribal Council
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Associated Links
Skills and Job Training: Income Assistance Program
Skills and Job Training for First Nation Youth: Roundtables
First Nations Job Fund
June 12, 2013 – Harper Government Invests in Skills & Training for First Nation Youth
SOURCE Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada
Emily Hillstrom, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, 819-997-0002; Media Relations, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, 819-953-1160; You can subscribe to receive our news releases and speeches via RSS feeds or e-mail. For more information or to subscribe, visit www.aandc.gc.ca/subscriptions.
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