CUPE questions decision to cut employment development program

The provincial government’s decision to scrap the Aboriginal Employment Development Program is coming under criticism by one of Canada’s largest unions.

Tom Graham, president of Saskatchewan CUPE, said the program, which was established more than 10 years ago, created jobs and provided training for Aboriginal people.
In that time, Graham said Aboriginal employment increased by five per cent.

“It doesn’t sound like much but when you are starting from zero that is quite significant.”

Graham said the program formed partnerships between employers, Aboriginal organizations, and schools to create opportunities for Aboriginal people in the trades and health care.

“You engaged everyone - unions, government, education system, Aboriginal organizations,” he said. “Everyone was singing from the same songbook.”

Graham said CUPE’s role was to help employers create inclusive workplaces.

“From our perspective, our role was largely to help prepare the workplace. We would meet with members to talk about things like treaty rights and racism.”

Now, Graham said, there is a dearth of support for Aboriginal people wanting to enter the workforce.
“I would argue that the program should never have ended,” said Graham. “At the very least I think you should put a new program in place before you cancel the existing one.”

The program cost $80,000 to deliver.

Rob Norris, minister of advanced education, employment and immigration, said the government cancelled the Aboriginal Employment Development program because there were no numbers to prove it was working.

“For us, one of the questions is focused on results. Was it actually helping to foster and facilitate the closing of the gap between First Nations and Métis and the rest of the people of province in either education and employment?”
Norris said since the program has been cut, Aboriginal employment numbers are increasing.

“For example, the Aboriginal youth employment numbers have been going up for nine straight months,” he said. “That’s an additional one thousand youth that started working this year.”

In this year’s budget, Norris said the government put a substantial amount of money towards training and employment for Aboriginal people.

“We saw a 20 per cent increase in funding going directly into First Nations and Métis programs,” he said.

Norris added that a newly created task force between FSIN and the province will help create opportunities for Aboriginal people.

Norris said the task force, which has been granted $2 million, will meet with grassroots Aboriginal organizations to determine what people need to enter the workforce.
Norris said the government’s goal is to shrink the employment disparity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

“Our goal is to close the educational gap,” said Norris. “The only way to achieve that is through partnerships and we’re pleased to see momentum right across communities.”

Graham said CUPE has formed its own partnership with the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan. He said they will work together to create employment opportunities for Métis people.

Graham also hopes to form a partnership with First Nations organizations in the province but so far nothing has been finalized.