The provincial government has renewed another five-year deal to provide funding to the Gabriel Dumont Institute (GDI).
It will receive $11.2 million over the next fiscal year. The money will be used to support the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP) and Dumont Technical Institute.
Since its inception more than 1,400 students have enrolled in it.
It is a four-year program designed for Metis and Non-Status Indian students interested in obtaining a Bachelor of Education degree.
The provincial funding represents about 40 per cent of GDI’s total budget.
The Dumont Technical Institute is the basic education and skills training arm of the institute. The past school year it operated in Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert and Ile-la-Crosse.
This year 115 students completed the adult basic education program, with 86 of those receiving their Grade 12 diploma and 29 students upgraded or will return in the fall of 2015.
Western Economic Diversification Canada provided GDI with a $3.1 million investment to help train 150 new Aboriginal apprentices in trades experiencing a shortage of skilled workers.