Victoria Provides $320K for First Nations Labour Market Study
Jobs Minister Shirley Bond at this morning’s announcement – photo 250News
Prince George, B.C. – The provincial government has announced $320,000 in funding for a First Nations labour market study.
Victoria has teamed up with the Prince George Nechako Aboriginal Employment and Training Association (PGNAETA) to study trends in 10 First Nations communities in this region:
The Cheslatta Carrier Nation, Lheidli T’enneh Band, McLeod Lake Band, Nadleh Whut’en Band, Nak’azdli Band, Saik’uz First Nation, Stellate’en First Nation, Takla Lake First Nation, Tl’azt’en Nation and Yekooche First Nation.
“We’re so happy to be here today to make this announcement with the Province,” said PGNAETA president Barb Ward-Burkitt. “So we’re going to be working with those bands with a coordinated approach to conduct labour market information studies. The reason for that is that information and data are really foundational pieces for forming annual workforce strategies.”
“The project is employing a co-ordinator, a research assistant and field interviewers to gather information and develop a skills inventory, long-term approaches for Aboriginal labour force development, and a human resources strategy to meet the anticipated labour demand for skilled workers in the participating First Nations communities,” reads a statement from the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation.”
Jobs Minister Shirley Bond, who made the announcement at PGNAETA’s Annual General Meeting at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club this morning, said the study will be an important tool for the government.
“It’s amazing to me that First Nations in B.C. – 50 percent of their population is under the age of 25 and so as we’re searching for the workforce of the future, we need to make sure that the First Nations have the skill set that they need to move into the job market.”
How long will the study take?
“It’ll evolve over the next number of months,” said Bond. “But it does take time, there will be a significant number of interviews, both of employees and potential employers. So there’s no definitive timeline but I would suggest over the next six to eight months we’ll start to see those results.”
Comments
I grew up in the Lower mainland, I ended up here via Mackenzie because my Dad always taught us – you go where the work is.
What is the point of the study, if the target group lives on the reserve, wants to stay on the reserve, and there is no work there.
I always found it disconcerting we had TFW’s when so many FN were unemployed, and it doesn’t take a lot of skill to do what TFW’s were doing, but, FN’s did not live where the work was, so as a available work force, they were unavailable.
This is not a criticism of FN. By treaty they have every right to live on the reserve. There is no obligation on them to come to where the work is – though I’d argue they would probably have a better life.
At the risk of sounding like JGalt, I just see this as a politically motivated announcement. FN are actually a Federal responsibility, and here’s the province with cash in hand trying to look like they care.
This wouldn’t be the first time the BC Liberals have been accused of providing provincial funding to a federal jurisdiction; Premier Christy Clark has been accused of interfering in a local band election to help a candidate who supports a $10-million wind farm proposal involving her brother, Bruce Clark.
Ms. Clark was not available for comment, but her office denied that the Premier’s recent visit to Haida Gwaii, with $150,000 in funding for a First Nation school, was in any way meant to influence the campaign of Chief Ken Rea, who was narrowly re-elected Monday, or to assist her brother’s business deal with the band.
www .theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/christy-clark-accused-of-interfering-in-band-election-to-aid-brothers-deal/article27654979/
Bond is getting a nice tan from all these photo ops lately. The liberals certainly seem to be on a spending spree lately. Wonder where all this cash is coming from? Oh wait I know. Rise in msp. Rise in hydro. Rise in vehicle insurance. And increase in fees all over the place. What a scam to buy votes
Must be an election coming. Christy suddenly “cares” about this region.
As I have said before Shirley will had more pictures taken of her than MT Robson before the next election. So tired of all the spin.
If anyone wanted to have a selfie with Clark or bond ( lol..yeah right)what would the selfie haters here have to say ;)
Sure, I am game… but doesn’t the selfie have to be taken over a $10,000 dollar a plate dinner with them?
Don’t think so, has Trudeau started to charge reporters to question him yet like Harper did?
The Leninists on this site have an absurd narrative tha
The Leninists on this site have an absurd narrative that the BC Liberal party consists of fat, white, Monopoly game characters lighting cigars with $100 bills. The Liberals are about putting people to work and earning an honest living, not sucking off the taxpayers’ teats.
Crusty charged $500,000 to the credit card we gave her in ONE year.. She raises MSP on retired people on fixed incomes.. She changes the rules of covered drugs so it costs more to retired people on fixed incomes. She constantly lowers the budget available for schools while her kid is in a private school. She constantly takes hundreds of millions from icbc then we get increased rates.. Hydro rates are climbing like crazy.. LNG is a joke.. But she beat our future on it.. We all lost..
Did you not recently read that the liberals job creation is not that at all…it just replacing people retiring..that’s 2/3 of these created jobs.. They are not creating these.. But claiming to..
The budget for schools has never been lowered. All crown corps “pay” the government. “She” bet nothing on LNG, “she” tried to make it easier for LNG to get set up so we didn’t miss the boat, unfortunately there is still too much “red tape” to make it happen before other countries. Pharmacare changes affect only seniors and non-seniors making over 35,000 per year. Children under 19 are no longer charged MSP premiums, and those earning under 24,000 per year now pay nothing and those earning more can still apply for premium assistance as they did before.
BC’s net increase in jobs (according to Stats Canada Labour Force Survey)was 46,300 full time and 23,700 part time from June 2015 to June 2016. The only other positive job growth for provinces in the same time frame were Quebec with 42,600 full time and -9,300 (yes negative) part time and Ontario with 43,400 full time and 19,100 part time positions.
I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.
Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it
History does not repeat itself, people repeat history
VOR prove it.
He does not have to, Stats Canada proves it for you. All you have to do is get your jelly roll fingers to type “Labour Force Survey” into your favourite search engine.
Doesn’t matter Slinky. The loopy left idiots on this site will never understand basic economics and the power of the free market economy. There are incredible supports in place in this province for low income and disadvantaged people. If you want to get ahead, go to work.
Comments for this article are closed.