PILOT PROJECT REMOVES BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT

Released on December 8, 1997

Human Resources Development Minister Pierre S. Pettigrew and

Saskatchewan Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training Minister

Joanne Crofford today announced an innovative partnership between the

federal and provincial governments which will see the establishment of

a Job Development Service pilot project in Yorkton.



Offering a single window for employment programs, three job

development officers will meet with business and industry in and

around Yorkton to identify staffing needs and long-term job

opportunities for specific target groups. Each of the four pilot

project partners will use these job orders to match and refer

job-ready clients.



The pilot project is targeted at people who are eligible under the

Employment Insurance Act, people receiving Social Assistance benefits,

people with disabilities, youth and people with multiple barriers to

employment. Through a labour matching process, project participants

will be supported by on-the-job training programs to ensure they

develop transferable job skills that will lead to full-time

employment.



The project will be delivered through a partnership of the

Yorkton Human Resource Centre of Canada, New Careers Corporation,

Parkland Regional College and the Saskatchewan Abilities Council.

It has an operating budget of $85,000 and will begin immediately.

The project is scheduled to end in May 1998.



"The Government of Canada is committed to helping people help

themselves," said Minister Pettigrew. "This program facilitates

the process and through the partnership approach, the needs of

both employers and workers will be met."



"Partnerships like the one announced today can test new

approaches that involve the community and employers," Crofford

said. "It fits into the Saskatchewan Training Strategy by

addressing local labour market needs, matching people to real

jobs and helping people move from dependence on tax supported

programs to incomes from employment and increasing productivity

and participation from people who are under-represented in the

labour force."



Federal funding of $50,000 is complemented with provincial

funding of $15,000 from New Careers Corporation and $15,000 from

Parkland Regional College. The remaining $5,000 has been

provided by the community partner, Saskatchewan Abilities

Council.



This project underlines the commitment of both levels of

government to establishing spending priorities that best serve

the people of Saskatchewan through efficient use of tax dollars.



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For more information, contact:



Jean Gabert, Manager

Human Resource Centre of

Canada

Yorkton

Phone: (306)786-5222



Marcia Schoffer, Superviser

New Careers Corporation

Yorkton

Phone: (306)786-1354