Achievements recognized

Page 16

The efforts and achievements of the Construction Career Development Project have been officially recognized by the Saskatchewan Labour Force Development Board (SLFDB), with the project receiving one of the board's annual Training for Excellence awards.

The project was the recipient of this year's award in the Promotion of Aboriginal Participation category, one of six categories of awards given out by the SLFDB each year. The awards were handed out June 15 in Regina.

The project got off the ground in 1998, as a partnership initiative between the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, Post-Secondary Education Career and Employment Services, the Saskatchewan Construction Association, and Saskatchewan Apprenticeship. The goal of the project is to provide employers in the construction industry with a database of prospective Aboriginal employees.

Right now, about 700 potential employees are listed in the data base, and the project is filling about 35 to 40 jobs a month. Last year 360 jobs were filled through the project.

Allen Dufour is an employment counsellor and job coach with the project. As Dufour explained, the project goes beyond just providing employers with a list of people available for employment. The project also helps people wanting a career in construction to gain the training and experience they need to become qualified candidates for employment.

Dufour describes the project as a "one-stop shopping centre" for someone interested in a career in the construction trades.

"What we do here is we get young people into trades, and we get them indentured. We find them jobs within that trade," Dufour said.

"If their education level is too low, we get them into a GED program to bring them up to the point where they can get into a trade."

The project also helps participants gain enough experience to qualify for their ticket in their chosen trade, and provides training programs.

The project training programs have been very successful, Dufour said. On average, about 80 per cent of the people completing the programs are employed when the program ends. One program run this year, a level one carpenter class, saw 100 per cent of those completing the class finding employment.

"We involve the industry in these classes. We tell them to come in and view the class while it's on, offer any tips, hints or whatever about the class, and see how they feel about it. And then we get them to hire from this class after," Dufour said.

The project also provides job coaching to its participants, which helps ensure any problems that come up on the work site are addressed.

"If you're having a problem, we go right out to the site and see what the problem is. If you're not showing up for work and the employer calls me, which they usually do, I'll track you down and I'll find out what your problem is," Dufour said.

Dufour stressed the project does not help place participants in casual positions or make-work programs.

"These jobs are found jobs, real jobs. They don't have money behind them. We don't look for jobs with taxpayers' money. We look inside the industry and see if they'll get hired on their own."

According to Dufour, reaction to the project within the construction industry has been great.

"I don't have to do a lot of phone calling around anymore for jobs. They're calling us," Dufour said.

"The first year was tough. To let industry know we're out here, and then you've got to fight the old cliches that have been around about First Nations people and First Nations workers. Once you turn a guy around, they understand a rumor is a rumor, and we're okay to hire."

Although the majority of the people finding employment through the project are First Nations - about 85 per cent - the project is open to anyone wanting assistance starting a career in the construction industry.

"If you're unemployed, it doesn't matter what color you are."

The Construction Career DevelopmentProject is the first of its kind in Canada, but work is underway to start a similar project in Saskatoon, with Prince Albert and Winnipeg also being considered as possible locations for expansion of the project.

For more information about the Construction Career Development Project, visit the project offices at 2430 - 8th Ave. in Regina, or call them at 1-306-721-4473.