Released on January 23, 2009
Holy Trinity Roman Catholic School Division today joined with Saskatchewan First Nations and Métis Relations to sign an Aboriginal Employment Development (AED) partnership agreement focused on jobs and the school board's future workforce.
Working through AED, the partnership will prepare the workplace to welcome more First Nations and Métis employees in order to meet the same challenge faced by many Saskatchewan employers - finding the trained workers needed to meet current and future requirements.
"This is a valuable partnership with Holy Trinity School Division and its large, active workforce," First Nations and Métis Relations Minister June Draude said. "This partnership will resonate in the lives of many children and will benefit the entire province."
"One of the Holy Trinity Board's goals is to create a climate of inclusion that celebrates strengths and diversity," Holy Trinity board chair Alyssa Robinson said. "By signing this agreement, we celebrate the relationships and partnerships we are building with key agencies in the province that help us work toward enriching our workforce.
"We, at Holy Trinity, value cultural diversity and the rich array of people in our communities and the contributions they can make. One of the board's guiding principles is to empower others to utilize their gifts and to accept and embrace all people. By identifying and working to eliminate barriers in the workplace that limit Aboriginal employment opportunities, we hope to create a more fair, open and trusting environment for everyone."
The Aboriginal Employment Development initiative is focused on bringing the largely untapped First Nations and Métis workforce into Saskatchewan's growing economy. Through workplace audits, existing AED employer and union partners identify jobs into the future that will need trained employees. Educational institutions can then develop and offer programs to give First Nations and Métis people the skills they need to compete successfully for the open positions. All AED partners work to identify and address barriers to training, hiring and retaining First Nations and Métis employees.
With this signing, there are now 93 Aboriginal Employment Development partnership agreements in place. Agreements have been signed with public and private sector employers, organized labour, government ministries, First Nations and Métis organizations, post-secondary institutions, and First Nations and Métis communities. Visit www.fnmr.gov.sk.ca/aedp/ to learn more.
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For more information, contact:
Jennifer Johnson
Executive Council
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4829
Email: jennifer.johnson@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-529-5350
Dolores Wagner-Owens
Holy Trinity Roman Catholic School Division
Moose Jaw
Phone: 306-694-5333