JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR FIRST NATIONS AND METIS PEOPLE

A new partnership agreement signed today by Saskatchewan First Nations and Métis Relations and the Five Hills Health Region, its affiliates and unions, is designed to create employment opportunities for First Nations and Métis people in the Moose Jaw area.

The Aboriginal Employment Development Program (AEDP) partnership agreement was signed with: the Five Hills Health Region, the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO), the Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan (HSAS), the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), affiliates and First Nations and Métis Relations.

"I commend Five Hills Health Region, and its affiliates and unions for signing today's AEDP partnership agreement with the province," First Nations and Métis Relations Minister Maynard Sonntag said. "We are all striving to achieve the common vision of a representative workforce where every person has the opportunity to be a full participant in the economic and social fabric of this province."

Through the AEDP, the Government of Saskatchewan strives to build a representative workforce where First Nations and Métis people compete for jobs based on their skills and qualifications, and where they are represented at all occupational levels in proportion to their population numbers in the province.

"Today's signing demonstrates the positive results we can achieve when working together," SAHO Board Chair Alex Taylor said. "It also shows just how important the issue of Aboriginal representation is in the health sector."

This is the 69th partnership agreement for the Aboriginal Employment Development Program. Partnerships have been signed with large public and private sector employers, organized labour, government departments, First Nations and Métis organizations, post-secondary institutions and community based organizations.

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For More Information, Contact:

Sharon Erickson First Nations and Métis Relations Regina Phone: (306) 787-7177