Canada Invests $9 Million For skills Training In Northern Quebec Mining Industry

The northern Quebec mining industry will get a boost in skilled labour as a result of a training and skills development project.

The Raglan Inuit Employment and Training Partnership Program is based on an agreement between the Government of Canada, the Government of Quebec, the Kativik Regional Government and Xstrata Nickel.

The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources, today announced that the Government of Canada is contributing $9 million towards this project.

The balance of the funding, which is more than $30 million, is coming from Xstrata Nickel, Emploi-Quebec and the Kativik Regional Government.

“In today’s environment, it is more important than ever that people have the skills that will enable them to participate and succeed in the job market,” said Minister Paradis. “Through the Raglan Inuit Employment and Training Partnership Program, our government is working with industry and Aboriginal organizations to help Canadians get good jobs in the northern mining industry. This is part of our overall strategy to create the best educated, most skilled and most flexible workforce in the world.”

Through this project, Aboriginal people will receive the skills training they need to build careers at Xstrata Nickel’s Raglan Mine. Once the project is finished, the participants will be able to use their transferable skills to obtain long-term employment.

The Government of Canada’s contribution to this training and skills development project is delivered through the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership (ASEP) program.

The ASEP program promotes partnerships between the Government of Canada, other levels of government, local organizations and employers. It provides on-the-job training that leads to long-term jobs in high demand professions such as mining, hydro development, fisheries, tourism, construction and infrastructure.

Canada’s Economic Action Plan provided an additional $100 million in funding to ASEP to provide more and better opportunities for Canada’s Aboriginal people.