Released on January 16, 1998
The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Natural Resources and MP forWascana, on behalf of federal Human Resources Development Minister
Pierre S. Pettigrew, and Saskatchewan Post-Secondary Education and
Skills Training Minister Joanne Crofford, today announced 22 new pilot
projects throughout Saskatchewan. Federal and provincial funding for
these projects, which totals $1.82 million, is allocated through the
Canada-Saskatchewan Strategic Initiatives Agreement. The projects
will test new ways to improve the link between skilled jobs and
Saskatchewan people seeking work.
The announcement was made at Prince Albert's Indian Student Education
Centre, site of the First Nations Government Specialist Training
Program. In the intake, seventeen students are enrolled in the one-year program which will conclude in November, 1998.
"The Government of Canada is proud to participate in this first-of-its-kind project," said Minister Goodale. "First Nations government
administration is being taught from the perspective of First Nations
and M‚tis people with consideration for their customary values and
practices. This Strategic Initiative demonstrates how Canada,
Saskatchewan and local communities can successfully partner together."
"Computer technology will network participating bands to the
training site, testing the use of innovative training delivery,"
Crofford said. "As we implement the provincial training
strategy, projects like this under the Strategic Initiatives
Agreement help to meet training and employment needs and expand
our partnerships with First Nations and M‚tis people."
The project partners include Human Resources Development Canada,
Saskatchewan Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training, Indian
and Northern Affairs Canada, nine First Nations, and Western
Region II of the M‚tis Nation of Saskatchewan.
The Canada-Saskatchewan Strategic Initiatives Agreement commits
each government to contribute up to $13 million over three years
to fund innovative projects that will address Saskatchewan labour
market needs. The provincial JobStart/Future Skills training
program is included as part of Saskatchewan's financial
contribution. Funding is allocated to three components:
Work/Study, Career Services and Labour Market Information (LMI).
Evaluating the projects for effectiveness and efficiency is an
integral part of all three components.
The funding announced today includes $1.63 million for Work/Study
projects and $187,700 for LMI projects. In addition to these
funds, sponsor and partner contributions to Work/Study projects
total $2.10 million.
The Work/Study pilot projects are providing skills development
and work experience opportunities to approximately 500
Saskatchewan residents. Another Work/Study project announced
today is the Roofer Apprenticeship Training program. This
project is unique because it allows apprentices to remain on the
job in their local communities and upgrade their training through
home study and on-the-job testing. This is one of eleven
apprenticeship projects that are delivering training in
innovative ways under the Strategic Initiatives Agreement.
Among the five new LMI projects is the transfer of the Graduate
Employment Statistics Report into an Internet-based product.
Since 1974, the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and
Technology, and Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training has
conducted a graduate employment survey to determine the
employment status of program graduates. The information will
profile current training outcomes of graduates such as full-time
employment related to their training, average salary and
employment obtained in Saskatchewan. Through the Internet this
valuable information will become more accessible to educators,
prospective students and employers.
With the projects announced today, total federal funding
allocated under the Canada-Saskatchewan agreement is $10.58
million to pilot new approaches to prepare some 1,400
Saskatchewan residents for employment. Fifty-five other projects
have been announced previously. As well, the province's
$13 million contribution has been made through the
JobStart/Future Skills program. This has supported 600
employer-based training projects and created training
opportunities for approximately 3,700 unemployed Saskatchewan
residents.
Federal funding of these initiatives falls within the framework
set out in the February 1997 Federal Budget. Skills training has
also been identified as a priority by the provincial government
in its 1997 Provincial Budget and the Saskatchewan Training
Strategy. These projects underline the commitment of both
governments to establish spending priorities that will best serve
the people of Saskatchewan through the efficient use of tax
dollars.
Further information on Canada-Saskatchewan Strategic Initiatives
or JobStart/Future Skills is available at 1-800-597-8278 or
www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/careers/ on the Internet.
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For more information, contact:
Jean Gabert Wayne McElree
Human Resources Development Canada Post-Secondary Education
Yorkton and Skills Training
Phone: (306)786-5222 Regina
Phone: (306)787-8420
The January 18, 1996 news release (#025) announcing the
Canada-Saskatchewan Strategic Initiatives Agreement, the
December 16, 1996 news release (#589) announcing 30 previous
Strategic Initiative projects and the July 9, 1997 news release
(#303) announcing one further project and the July 24, 1997 news
release (#320) are available on the Internet at
http://www.gov.sk.ca/newsrel/archive.html