Government of Canada provides skills training and job opportunities for Indigenous youth in Northern Ontario

Press Release

January 19, 2018 Thunder Bay, Ontario Employment and Social Development Canada

Building a strong middle class means giving Canada’s youth the tools they need to find and keep good jobs.

Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, announced a new project that will help Indigenous youth develop their skills and get hands-on work experience.

The Government of Canada will provide over $3 million in funding to Nokiiwin Tribal Council for its Mino-niigaanendmowin project through the Skills Link program. This project will help up to 150 Indigenous youth gain work experience and develop the skills they need to find and keep good jobs or return to school. Participants will also get valuable work experience with local employers in fields such as transportation, mining, forestry, administration, health care, education and commercial fisheries.

Quotes

“We know that our communities are healthier and stronger when everyone can fully participate. Supporting youth as they transition into the workforce is a key way in which we can grow our economy and strengthen the middle class.”
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour

“Mino-niigaanendmowin is a culturally relevant program that has been developed with the unique needs and future potential of youth at its core. Our programs provide youth with opportunities to discover themselves, explore possibilities and better prepare for their career choices. We are grateful to the Federal government for their support to launch this exciting new initiative. Together, we will inspire more young people and get them on the best path to transition into the workforce.”
– Joe Donio, President, of the Nokiiwin Tribal Council of Thunder Bay

Quick Facts

Each year, the Government invests more than $330 million in the Youth Employment Strategy to help young people gain the skills, abilities and work experience they need to find and maintain good employment.
Budget 2016 invested an additional $165.4 million in the Youth Employment Strategy in 2016–17.
Budget 2017 invested an additional $395.5 million over three years in the Youth Employment Strategy, starting in 2017–18. Combined with Budget 2016 measures, these investments will help:
- more than 33,000 vulnerable youth develop the skills they need to find work or go back to school;
- create 15,000 new green jobs for young Canadians; and
- provide over 1,600 new employment opportunities for youth in the heritage sector.