Prince George, B.C. – The Prince George Native Friendship Centre has had its job skills funding for Aboriginal workers renewed by the provincial government.

The PGNFC has been awarded $150-thousand dollars to continue with a program that directly connects the Aboriginal labour force in Prince George to employment opportunities by facilitating pre-employment training, job placements, and support services.  The sales and service industry is the focus of the job placements.

The local grant was part of a $4-million dollar investment in Aboriginal Training for Employment Program (ATEP) projects announced by the province yesterday, through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Agreement.

Minister of Advanced Education, Naomi Yamamoto, said, "We want to make sure young Aboriginal people are prepared to fill many of the millions of jobs we know will be opening up in British Columbia over the next decades and this program is providing opportunities that connect Aboriginal individuals with growing occupations."