Job program announced

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A $14 million pilot program promising employment to 90 First Nations and Metis individuals in Alberta has been formalized with an official signing between local and federal officials.

Richard Arcand, chairman of the Western Aboriginal Development Alliance, (WADA), and Lloyd Axworthy, federal minister of Human Resources Development, announced the Stronger Together program at a press conference in Edmonton Nov. 16. Chiefs and settlement councilmen witnessed the signing which was also attended by Ann McLellan, federal interlocutor for Metis and Non-Status Indians.

The employment initiative involves coordinating efforts between private sector businesses and WADA to provide work opportunities to Aboriginal people.

Four to six communities will be chosen to participate in the pilot program which is in the process of setting selection and evaluation guidelines.

"The board of WADA and the leadership will be making the selection of the communities within the criteria that will be established over the next while," said Arcand.

He estimated that process would take at least three months.

Part of the pilot program involves offering businesses wage subsidies to encourage hiring Aboriginal workers. The wage subsidy will help cover costs until the employee is working "up to speed," said Axworthy.

Program participants will also be provided with an assortment of support services to help make the transition from social assistance to employment, said Arcand. That is one of the key points differentiating Stronger Together from other programs which offer only wage subsidies with some training. Although the program is lacking specific guidelines as of yet, the idea is to use services already existing in the communities to provide a basket of support measures.

Arcand also wants to create stronger links between communities and the county offices which serve them.

Many counties employ Native people for menial jobs, such as road work, Arcand said. He'd like to work towards opening doors to white collar jobs.

"We want to make sure that this will develop partnerships for long-term employment so that people will work up to managers and vice presidents."

Native communities have an often-unappreciated strength, that of purchasing power, added Axworthy. And that can be used in a local forum, collaborating with local businesses.

"What we would use this program for is to help develop training with those businesses," he said.

The training will be tailored to the requirements of the actual job available rather than abstract schooling.

The lack of rules and regulations in the program's present form indicates a move from total federal direction to handing the reins over to the communities involved, Axworthy said.

"What we want to do is enable a stronger level of community decision-making taking place so that they can tailor the program. So they can have flexibility to work within the local communities without getting into a whole set of pre-set standardized rules and regulations."

The accountability will be based on how many people went back to and stayed at work, he said.

"We will be evaluating the results and hopefully it can be used as a model across Canada."

Stronger Together is a three-year pilot program directed by WADA, an advisory committee of community and business leaders, along with Human Resources Development Canada.