The Government of Saskatchewan was pleased to join the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) recently to unveil two newly wrapped Job Connections buses that will deliver career services to First Nations communities across the province.
The Government of Saskatchewan provided $325,000 towards the Mobile Job Connection Services program, which included the repurposing of two Job Connections buses that will offer services ranging from career assessments to active recruitment.
“Improving First Nations engagement in the workforce is a top priority,” Saskatoon Sutherland MLA Paul Merriman, on behalf of Minister Responsible for Immigration, Jobs, Skills and Training Jeremy Harrison, said. “These Job Connections buses will provide more First Nations people with convenient access to the services they need to research career and training opportunities, develop a career action plan, connect with employers and ultimately gain rewarding employment.”
This year, the Mobile Job Connection Service project has also expanded its services and will be working closely with a number of employers to help them recruit First Nations people. In partnership with Saskatchewan Indian Training Assessment Group (SITAG), SIIT will begin delivering services in August.
“Thanks to support from the Government of Saskatchewan and the SITAG, we are able to offer these services directly in First Nations communities, giving participants an opportunity to explore career and training opportunities that they may not have accessed on their own, which can lead to careers that they may have otherwise never considered,” SIIT President Riel Bellegarde said. “This program benefits all involved.”
This initiative is a response to the recommendations from the Joint Task Force on First Nations and Métis Education and Employment to strengthen access to information, services and supports that help people transition to school, work, and new communities.
