$2M for services to help Indigenous job seekers in Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan government announced on Wednesday that it will be providing roughly $2 million to support employment services for Indigenous and Métis job seekers in the province.

Officials said the funding is for one year and aims to facilitate industry-led training programs and employability supports to 400 residents from the Prince Albert Grand Council and Meadow Lake Tribal Council regions.

“The Northern Career Quest Inc. programming will provide Indigenous participants with the necessary training, in-demand skills and support that will result in employment opportunities,” Immigration and Career Training Minister Jeremy Harrison said in a statement.

“This funding will help us achieve the important goal of training and retaining a skilled workforce to match employer needs and help drive Saskatchewan’s economic growth.”

Northern Career Quest said it leverages industry partnerships to meet the emerging labour needs of businesses, including in the hospitality, health, natural resource and infrastructure sectors.

“This programming expands our previous mandate beyond just the resource sector, enabling us to work with Indigenous folks in more diversified areas of training and employment,” Northern Career Quest CEO Steve Innes said in a press release.

“We are looking forward to achieving and exceeding the employment targets for this project.”

According to Northern Career Quest, it has worked with industry partners, training over 1,200 Indigenous job seekers, with more than 1,100 obtaining employment in the past half-decade.

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Nîkihk Midtown storefront creating opportunity for local Indigenous artisans