UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP MEETS NEEDS OF NORTH BATTLEFORD CITIZENS

Released on August 31, 2001

Premier Lorne Calvert today officially opened a new job centre in North

Battleford where both the federal and provincial governments are working

together and sharing office space.



Canada-Saskatchewan Career and Employment Services and the Human Resource

Centre of Canada are working together to help North Battleford and area

citizens participate fully in the workforce and in the community. This

arrangement is the first of its kind in Canada.



"When I became Premier, I said that one of my goals was to make

Saskatchewan a province where all of our people are able to be involved in

their communities, get a good education and find meaningful employment

right here at home," Calvert said. "This great facility will help provide

the people of North Battleford and surrounding area with access to the

career and labour market information resources they need to participate

fully in our province's economic, cultural and social life."



"This two-in-one centre is a true partnership. It shows what two levels of

government can do for Canadians when they work hand-in-hand to meet the

needs of the community," Natural Resources Canada Minister Ralph Goodale,

on behalf of Human Resources Development Canada Minister Jane Stewart,

said. "Under a Labour Market Development Agreement with the Province of

Saskatchewan, employment programs and services are now streamlined so that

Canadians can have easier access to career and education information. In

this office - the services are seamless."



The provincial North Battleford Career and Employment Services office is

located with Human Resources Development Canada with the programs and

services under one roof. The North Battleford location is one of 20 Canada-

Saskatchewan Career and Employment Services offices, and one of 11 Human

Resource Centres of Canada, open around the province.



"Through Canada-Saskatchewan Career and Employment Services offices in

every region of the province, all Saskatchewan people now have one-stop

access to relevant career information, training, and employment programs

and services," Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training Minister Glenn

Hagel said. "We are working with industry and many other regional partners

to link people to jobs in our changing labour market."



Under the federal/provincial Labour Market Development Agreement, the

Government of Saskatchewan assumed the responsibility of providing career

and employment programs to Employment Insurance (EI) clients. The

Government of Canada is a funding partner for these programs and services

through the EI Account. The Agreement builds on a collaborative sector-

wide, post-secondary education and skills training strategy to ensure all

residents have access to flexible, relevant, quality training and

employment services.



Services provided through this location include: information on the labour

market; Employment Insurance; Social Insurance Number applications

(S.I.N.); career planning and employment counselling services; easy access

to labour exchange for employers and job seekers; employment programs; and

income security programs.



Local access to a variety of information related to apprenticeship,

JobStart/Future Skills, and other skills training and employment programs,

basic education, literacy, and income support programs for learners is also

available.



For more information, please visit Saskatchewan's career and employment

web-site SaskNetWork (www.sasknetwork.gov.sk.ca) or

call toll free at 1-800-59START (1-800-597-8278).



For information about Human Resources Development Canada, visit the web at

www.sk.hrdc.gc.ca or call 1-800-206-7218.



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For local information, contact:



Pat Bauer Karen Indzeoski

Regional Director Manager, North Battleford

Post-Secondary Education Human Resource Centre of Canada

and Skills Training Phone: (306) 446-1822

North Battleford

Phone: (306) 446-7890