Released on June 1, 2009
First Nations and Métis Relations Minister Bill Hutchinson and Advanced Education, Employment and Labour Minister Rob Norris will join partners, including technology leader IBM, at the two-day Workforce: Workplace, Strategies for Success Conference in Saskatoon, June 2-3. Conference delegates will explore the latest statistics and best practices to help welcome more First Nations and Métis people into Saskatchewan's labour market.
"This conference gives people a chance to create a dialogue about building a common vision for a representative workforce and hear how our First Nations and Métis partners and employers are preparing for Saskatchewan's many training and employment opportunities," Hutchinson said.
The gathering will take stock of our progress to date, and will speak to a new vision integrating the efforts of the Ministry of First Nations and Métis Relations with the Ministry of Advanced Education, Employment and Labour to work toward a more inclusive and representative workforce.
"It is an ethical and economic imperative that we continue developing a more diverse, dynamic and cosmopolitan workforce that includes a representative proportion of First Nations and Métis people," Norris said. "These will be two days well spent."
Conference highlights include a half-day pre-conference session on Aboriginal myth and misconception training on Monday, June 1. This will give participants the opportunity to access the same information that has helped many workplaces evolve across the province.
Day one of the conference on Tuesday, June 2, offers sessions on labour force information, new statistics, and two panel discussions focusing on the employer's perspective of a representative workplace and how post-secondary institutions can prepare the workforce.
A gala banquet later Tuesday evening celebrates the 100th Aboriginal Employment Development signing between IBM and the Ministry of First Nations and Métis Relations. Other signatories include President Robert Doucette of the Métis Nation - Saskatchewan, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Advanced Education Employment and Labour, and Enterprise Saskatchewan.
This unique partnership agreement with IBM will open doors to the information technology economy for First Nations and Métis people in Saskatchewan and will create opportunities to increase their participation in the IT economy through employment, education and training, small business assistance and investment.
The first actions under the partnership agreement with IBM include:
- conducting IGN.I.T.E (Igniting Interest in Technology and Engineering) camps designed to encourage youth to stay in school and explore careers in science and technology;
- providing training to participating communities to run the IGN.I.T.E camps;
- providing access to a software program designed to improve literacy in selected Aboriginal schools; and
- undertaking discussions about the "e-readiness" of communities in relation to technology infrastructure, utilization and skills.
Following the signing, keynote speaker Roger Gibbins, president and CEO of Canada West Foundation, will share his insights with the audience.
Day two of the conference features panel discussions on labour force opportunities. First Nations and Métis communities will share their views about how the workforce can be prepared. The conference will close with a look at a draft vision for Aboriginal involvement in Saskatchewan's workforce. Provincial Aboriginal Rrepresentative Workforce Council partners will be asked to give input on this new vision.
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For more information, contact:
Bonny Braden
First Nations and Métis Relations
Regina
Phone: 306-787-5701
Email: bonny.braden@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-530-2237