Government of Canada renews its strategy to increase Aboriginal employment
December 2, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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YELLOWKNIFE, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES- The Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Secretary of State (Children and Youth), on behalf of the Honourable Jane Stewart, Minister of Human Resources Development, today announced that Canada's Aboriginal Human Resources Development Strategy (AHRDS) is being renewed and will come into effect on April 1, 2004 when the current Strategy sunsets. The announcement was made at a news conference convened in Yellowknife. AHRDS Agreement Holders located in the Northwest Territories were among the invited guests.
"By renewing the Strategy, we are helping to build the skilled Aboriginal work force that Canada needs to prosper in the 21st century. And we are tapping into the potential of Aboriginal youth to embark on exciting career paths in every sector of the economy," said Secretary of State Blondin-Andrew.
The Secretary of State went on to emphasize that "meeting the skills and learning needs of Aboriginal Canadians is a shared responsibility, one that involves direct action by all the major players including Aboriginal communities, governments at all levels, educators, labour and the private sector."
In announcing the Strategy's renewal for another five years, Secretary of State Blondin-Andrew also praised the sound management of the Agreement Holders and the network of partnerships they have been building to address Canada's skill and labour shortages.
The renewed Strategy will build on the groundwork achieved under the existing AHRDS and is expected to help 100,000 Aboriginal people enter the workplace in the next five years. This renewal forms part of a number of Government of Canada initiatives aimed at strengthening job readiness and Aboriginal labour market participation. These include the $85-million Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership (ASEP) program announced in early October and the $25-million Urban Aboriginal Strategy pilot projects launched on November 25.
Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) in partnership with Aboriginal groups across Canada administer the AHRDS. Throughout last fall, HRDC's Aboriginal Relations Office and regional offices, in collaboration with national Agreement Holders under the Strategy, engaged in an extensive consultation process. They will continue to work closely with all Agreement Holders over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition to the renewed Strategy.
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For more information :
Pierre Collin
Special Assistant
Office of the Secretary of State
(819) 953-8385
Media Relations Office
Human Resources Development Canada
(819) 994-5559
BACKGROUNDER
The Renewal of Canada's Aboriginal Human Resources Development Strategy
Canada's Aboriginal people are uniquely situated to contribute significantly to the country's cultural richness and to its economic and social prosperity both now and in the decades ahead. Aboriginal youth and working-age adults are the fastest growing segment of Canada's labour force potential. The Aboriginal Human Resources Development Strategy (AHRDS) and its renewal have a significant role to play in helping realize that potential by ensuring that the skill development and learning needs of Aboriginal people are met and barriers to labour market participation overcome.
The AHRDS is the result of many years of partnership and learning between Human Resources Development Canada and Aboriginal people. Introduced in 1999 as a five-year initiative to help Aboriginal people prepare for, find, get and keep jobs, the Strategy has proved successful. Between 1999 and 2003, the AHRDS directly helped 58,044 clients find jobs and served close to 170,000 through 255,341 interventions. One mark of success has been the ever-widening choice of sustainable employment opportunities including traditional and non-traditional trades, and traditional and emerging professional pursuits in every sector. Another clear sign of success is the increasing circle of partners who recognize the benefits of a fully engaged Aboriginal work force. Governments at every level, businesses large and small, sector councils, learning institutions, labour interests and Aboriginal organizations all form part of that circle.
National in scope, regionally delivered, community-based and client-centered, the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Strategy addresses the employment and labour market needs of Inuit, Métis, and First Nations people regardless of status or where they live. It does this through 79 Agreement Holders representing Aboriginal communities throughout Canada.
Each Agreement Holder is responsible for determining, delivering, and administering the mix of labour market programs and services that best meet the unique requirements of their Aboriginal community, be it in a major urban centre, a remote northern part of the country, or a First Nation on-reserve setting. And each is fully accountable for the multi-year funding contribution and reporting results. Agreement holders currently have more than 200 service agreements in place and 400 points of service.
The renewed AHRDS will come into effect on April 1, 2004. The months prior to that will focus on fine-tuning operational and delivery methods in collaboration with Agreement Holders.
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