Province and Health Region Sign AEDP Partnership

The province has signed an Aboriginal Employment Development Program (AEDP) partnership agreement with the Mamawetan Churchill River Regional Health Authority (MCRRHA), the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO), Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN), Saskatchewan Government Employees Union (SGEU) and Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan (HSAS).

"The provincial government's goal is to achieve a representative workforce," Aboriginal Affairs Minister Eldon Lautermilch said. "Since the first AEDP partnership agreement was signed in 1995, more than 1,500 qualified Aboriginal people have found employment and 2,500 employees of AEDP partners have received cultural awareness training. Partnerships such as this one are an important step toward the full and equal participation of Aboriginal people in the province – socially and economically."

"Signing our first partnership agreement on July 15, 1999 was a significant milestone for MCRRHA. We are signing this latest agreement because of the recent amalgamation and renaming of Saskatchewan Health Regions," MCRRHA Board Chairperson, Louise Wiens said. "Having a formal agreement shows our Region's sincerity and desire to building positive relationships with the First Nations and Métis people that we serve. Not only are we reconfirming our commitment, but we also have the support of our partners, SAHO, SUN, SGEU and HSAS in working towards a Representative Workforce. We look forward to working diligently with our partners in our collective commitment to increasing the employment of Aboriginal peoples in our Region."

"SAHO is pleased to be partnering with government, health employers, unions and the Aboriginal community to move our agenda forward in building a representative workforce in Saskatchewan," SAHO's Board Chair Alex Taylor said.

"SUN is honoured to be a partner in this agreement," SUN President Rosalee Longmoore said. "We believe it is important to have a workforce that is representative of our population. We must work together with our partners to make this a living agreement that will, in part, prepare the places where nurses work as they become truly representative of our communities."

The Saskatchewan Government, through 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.

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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