New initiatives through GDI provide employment, training opportunities

New funding for the Gabriel Dumont Institute will provide more training and employment opportunities for Métis.
In June, GDI and its strategic partners announced two new initiatives.

The Aboriginal Apprenticeship Initiative, under the federal Strategic Partnership Fund, will receive $2.4 million through the Skills and Partnership Fund for its new Aboriginal Apprenticeship Initiative. In partnership with Dumont Technical Institute, Saskatchewan Highways and Infrastructure, the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trades Certification Commission and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, GDI Training and Employment’s funding also supports the opening of a new apprenticeship office.

“There is a big demand in Saskatchewan right now. There are 47 designated trades in Saskatchewan and 23 sub-trades and GDITE’s goal is to increase Aboriginal participation in the trades and apprenticeship field with a target of 120 new personnel hired over the next two years,” said Jason Deback, apprenticeship coordinator.

The SPF was launched in July 2010 with an investment of $210 million over five years. The Skills and Partnership Fund promotes government priorities, strategic partnerships and innovation in project delivery. It will move change towards a more demand-driven, partnership-based program and create employment by addressing cases of low employment in depressed regions.

“This is a win-win situation with a growing Aboriginal population and under representation in the apprenticeship field,” said Deback.

According to Statistics Canada 2006, Saskatchewan ranks as the fifth province for the highest total Aboriginal urban population at 141,890.

GDITE is the connection to link employers to apprenticeships and an incentive is offered to the employers to hire new apprenticeships by paying 50 per cent of the apprentice’s wages. The Apprenticeship Subsidy Program helps employers meet the cost of apprentice wages.

“Hire an apprentice and build the future of Saskatchewan for Aboriginal employment,” said Deback.

To be eligible for the program, applicants must be under employed, have at least a grade 12 education and First Nations, Inuit or Métis apprenticeship.

Within two months, GDITE already had 20 different employers on board and 20 Aboriginal employers working on site.

The signing of a GDI-Saskatoon Health Region scholarship was the second initiative. The GDI-Saskatoon Health Region scholarship is intended for Métis students pursuing postsecondary education in the health sector.
“The goal is to increase Métis scholarships because there is a high demand for jobs in the health field with good paying jobs and secure employment after education is completed,” said Tavia Laliberte, director of employment and training.

Upcoming information and scholarship applications will be available on the GDI website within one month. The deadline for applying is Oct. 1, with 17 awards totalling $1,000 each. Those who qualify are Métis who have graduated from post secondary within one year.

In 2006, Gabriel Dumont Institute Training and Employment was established to provide the Métis in Saskatchewan with training and employment services. GDITE falls under the parent umbrella organization of the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research.