TRIPARTITE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT SIGNED

The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) and the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) signed the 41st partnership agreement with the province's Aboriginal Employment Development Program (AEDP) today.

The tripartite agreement, between SUN, SAHO and the Government of Saskatchewan, is geared toward the inclusion of Aboriginal people in the workplace.

"Our goal as a government is to ensure that Aboriginal people have a bright future through education, employment and business," Aboriginal Affairs Minister Eldon Lautermilch said. "Partnerships such as this one being signed between SUN, SAHO and the Saskatchewan Government is an excellent step toward our shared goal that Aboriginal people participate fully in the social and economic fabric of our province."

The AEDP strives to build a workforce in Saskatchewan where Aboriginal people compete for jobs based on their skills and qualifications, and where they have representation at all occupational levels in proportion to their population numbers in the province.

"The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses is honoured to be a partner in this agreement being signed today," President of SUN, Rosalee Longmoore said. "We believe it is important to have a workforce that is representative of the Aboriginal population and we will work with our partners to attain this."

"SAHO is committed to working in partnership with government and union members to achieve a representative workforce," SAHO Board Chair Alex Taylor said. "This partnership with SUN will assist in ensuring the successful integration of Aboriginal people into health sector professions and help us prepare our workforce for the future."

Through the AEDP partnerships, employers have successfully hired more than 1,500 qualified Aboriginal people.

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For More Information, Contact:

Anna Arneson Government Relations and Aboriginal Affairs Regina Phone: (306)787-8008 Email: aarneson@graa.gov.sk.ca