Think Tank Says Native Employment Hurt By Racism
Thursday, March 29, 2007 at 16:00
The Canada West Foundation says engaging the fast-growing Aboriginal population in Saskatchewan’s economy is still a major challenge.
The foundation released its 2007 economic profile and forecast for the province yesterday, and overall, it says there are several reasons for optimism.
However, chief economist Todd Hirsch says while the NDP government will state it’s doing what it can to train young Aboriginal people — he says much more work is needed.
He notes says racism continues to be an obstacle for Native people trying to enter the workforce.
Hirsch says according to a 2004 foundation survey, 37 per cent of Saskatchewan’s population believes Native people are not interested in working.
Hirsch says while there are things a government can do to promote Aboriginal education and training, changing the public’s attitude is a much bigger challenge.