A strong economy and healthy communities are created when everyone has a real and fair chance to succeed. When First Nations, Inuit and Métis are supported, not only are they developing their own skills and competencies, they are also helping their communities, now and into the future.
Today, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault, announced more than $170 million in funding for 24 projects through the Skills and Partnership Fund, following an open call for proposals in the spring of 2022. These new projects are targeting the training that Indigenous workers will need for jobs in the green economy, the information and communications technology sector, the infrastructure sector, the blue economy and the Indigenous public sector. The selection of these priority sectors was informed by the national engagement process that took place in advance of the launch of the 2022 call for proposals.
The Minister made the announcement while visiting the Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services Society (ACCESS) in Vancouver, which will receive more than $21 million for its Indigenous Training and Apprenticeship Program. ACCESS will use this funding to help urban Indigenous people overcome employment barriers and obtain the skills needed to complete technical training in a skilled trade and eventually achieve Red Seal journeyperson status.
The Skills and Partnership Fund is a project-based program supporting partnerships between Indigenous organizations and employers to provide targeted skills training for Indigenous people for in-demand jobs at the local, regional and national level. It is one of two complementary Indigenous labour market programs delivered by Employment and Social Development Canada, the other one being the distinctions-based Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program.
Both of these programs are working with Indigenous partners to ensure that First Nations, Inuit and Métis can fully contribute to and share in Canada's economic success, which is a critical part of advancing reconciliation and self-determination.
