Senator Ethel Cochrane announced that the Government of Canada is contributing close to $15M towards the The Labrador Aboriginal Training Partnership project, with the balance of the funding (more than $30M) coming from the project partners.
Through this project, participants will receive the skills training they need to take part in the construction of a hydroelectric facility. Once the construction project is finished, the participants will be able to use their transferable skills to obtain long-term employment.
"Canada's Economic Action Plan is investing in skills development so Canadians can participate and succeed in the job market," said Senator Cochrane. "Through the Labrador Aboriginal Training Partnership project, our government is working with industry and Aboriginal organizations to help Canadians succeed in the hydroelectric construction industry and attain new employment opportunities. This is part of our overall strategy to create the best educated, most skilled and most flexible workforce in the world."
The Government of Canada's contribution for this training and skills development project is delivered through the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership (ASEP) program.
The ASEP program promotes partnerships between the Government of Canada, other levels of government, local organizations and employers. It provides on-the-job training that leads to long-term jobs in high demand professions such as mining, hydro development, fisheries, tourism, construction and infrastructure.
Canada's Economic Action Plan provided an additional $100M in funding to ASEP to create more and better opportunities for Canada's Aboriginal people. One of these investments is the Bridges and Foundations Career Development project, which supports economic opportunities in the Saskatoon area's residential construction industry. Up to 600 Aboriginal people in the region will receive training, and it is expected that at least 400 of the participants will secure long-term jobs.
