Government of Canada supports training for Inuit people to participate in fishing industry
IQALUIT, NUNAVUT, - Inuit will receive skills and employment training leading to long-term jobs in the fishing industry through a major training investment by the Government of Canada, announced the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.
Training for Nunavut's Developing Fishing Industry, a project of the Nunavut Fisheries Training Consortium, will be funded through the federal government's Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership (ASEP) program. The fishery sector is identified by the Government of Nunavut as one of the three pillars of its economy.
"Our government is taking action to ensure that Canada's workforce for the future is the best educated, the most skilled and the most flexible in the world," said Minister Finley. "This investment of $2.9 million will provide training and skills development opportunities for about 170 Inuit people, leading to 100 long-term jobs in the territory's fishing industry."
"This training ensures that we have the skills necessary for in-shore, at-sea and land-based employment, and that we are able to fully participate in these economic opportunities," said Ms. Liz Cayen, Executive Director, Nunavut Fisheries Training Consortium.
The project is a partnership between stakeholders in the fishing industry, the federal and territorial governments, Aboriginal organizations and Nunavut Arctic College, created to maximize the benefits for Inuit in the fishing industry.
"This funding towards the Nunavut Fisheries Training Consortium will greatly assist in the continuing development of the territory's fishing industry," said the Honourable Daniel Shewchuk, Minister of Environment for Nunavut. "The Consortium plays a vital role in improving the education and training of Inuit, which in turn allows them to obtain the maximum employment and economic benefits from the development of a Nunavut-based fishing industry."
The Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership program focuses on sustainable Aboriginal employment by providing the skills and training needed to participate in economic opportunities. Through the creation of such partnerships, the Government of Canada is taking action to ensure that Canada's workforce for the future is the best educated, the most skilled and the most flexible in the world.
Through Canada's Economic Action Plan, Budget 2009, the Government is continuing its commitment to enhancing the availability of training by investing an additional $100 million over three years in the nationwide ASEP program. This investment will support up to 25 new ASEP projects, which could result in up to 6,000 jobs for Aboriginal people across the country.
Canada's Economic Action Plan aims to create more and better opportunities for Aboriginal Canadians with increased investments in Aboriginal skills and employment programs.
