Government Jobs Waiting for Aboriginal People

Government Jobs Waiting for Aboriginal People

Tuesday, March 09, 2004 at 12:56

A northern leader likes what he’s hearing from the provincial government about efforts to get more Metis and off-reserve native people employed.

Aboriginal Affairs minister Maynard Sonntag was in Ile-a-la-Crosse yesterday spelling out the government’s strategy on this issue.

Those in attendance were told that the province is focusing a lot of attention on getting Aboriginal people jobs in government and with Crown corporations.

Ile-a-la-Crosse mayor Max Morin agrees with Sonntag that looming retirements in the public sector should pave the way for more opportunities for Aboriginal people.

Morin is also happy the government appears willing to train Aboriginal people on the job.

However, Morin isn’t sure if there’s enough information out there about how an Aboriginal person from the North can get this process started.

Sonntag says Aboriginal people make up 14 per cent of Saskatchewan’s population, but only 6.5 per cent of the government workforce — a percentage Sonntag says the province is committed to increasing.