The Métis National Council was formed to represent the Métis nation at the national and international levels. It is composed of five provincial Métis governing members: the Manitoba Métis Federation, of which I'm president and also vice-president, nationally; the Métis Nation of Alberta; the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan; the Métis Nation of Ontario; and the Métis Nation British Columbia.
Each of the MNC's governing members have been involved in managing and delivering labour marketing programs to their respective constituencies since 1996. Only five of the 85 ASETS holders across Canada are MNC affiliates. Together, we currently receive $49.8 million per annum from the ASETS, less than 15.5% of the total ASETS budget, although we account for over 25% of Canada's aboriginal population.
Up to this point, federal aboriginal labour market development strategies have been renewed in one form or another every five years. We believe it is critical for the Government of Canada to renew the strategy once again and I shall explain why.
In terms of the continuing relevance of aboriginal labour market development, Canada has an aging population, with ever-increasing numbers of the baby boom generation set to retire in the next decade or so. Canada's aboriginal population, on the other hand, is a very young population. It is also the fastest growing population. While the growth rate of the Canada's labour force is expected to slow—and in some scenarios, actually turn negative over the next 15 years—Statistics Canada's latest aboriginal population projections indicate that Canada's aboriginal population could reach 2.2 million by 2031, a 57% increase over the current levels.
In the prairie provinces, Métis account for from 33% to 44% of the aboriginal population, and in Ontario and British Columbia, roughly 30%. Métis are a very significant part of the aboriginal population in all the regions represented by the MNC and its provincial governing members.
We are also the fastest growing segment of Canada's aboriginal population. Between 1996 and 2011, Métis identity counts increased by 121% nationally. An important awakening is taking place. People who had submerged their Métis origins for so long, as a result of over a century of political and cultural repression, are now finding the courage to stand up and be counted as Métis. There can be no doubt that Métis constitute a very significant part of Canada's aboriginal population today and will continue to be a significant part of that population tomorrow.
It makes sense that a growing and youthful aboriginal population should help fill the shortfall in the labour market due to the attrition of older workers and the growth of the Canadian economy. But to have this happen some major obstacles have to be overcome. The fact of the matter is that aboriginal peoples—first nations, Métis, and Inuit—share a history of having been marginalized and excluded from the mainstream economy. This is reflected today in lower levels of educational attainment, higher proportions of the population outside the labour force or unemployed, lower skill levels, lower incomes, and fewer job opportunities. This is where aboriginal labour market development initiatives become very important.
In terms of a successful strategy, we are not starting from scratch. As far as the Métis are concerned, federal strategies since 1996 have succeeded in two major ways.
First, an infrastructure has been put in place that reaches aboriginal people.
If you want aboriginal people to participate in labour market programs, two major conditions have to be met: first, delivery mechanisms have to be specific to each of the aboriginal peoples of Canada, first nations, Inuit, and Métis; and second, they must reach them in the communities where they live. Programs must be delivered by institutions with which the community is familiar and consider their own.
Since 1996, federal aboriginal labour market development programs have, in fact, been delivered on a distinctions-based basis, and that's a very important aspect. In the case of the MNC, labour market programs are delivered to Métis in Ontario by the Métis Nation of Ontario; in Manitoba, by the Manitoba Métis Federation; in Saskatchewan, by the Gabriel Dumont Institute, which is a college; in Alberta, by the Rupertsland Institute; and in British Columbia by the Métis Nation British Columbia.
Each is a province-wide organization with a network of offices and delivery sites throughout the province. In total, there are 49 delivery sites providing labour market programs and services to Métis in the Métis homeland.
This is important because, across the Métis homeland, 45% of Métis live in what Statistics Canada classifies as “small urban centres” or in rural areas. Another 42% live in large urban centres, and 12.5% in medium population centres. There's a half of a per cent missing, but those are the ones who live on reserve. We have the infrastructure in place to reach our people wherever they live.
Second, programs are achieving results.
Aboriginal people are not all the same. For example, in the case of Métis, more of our young people complete high school than is the case for Inuit and first nations, although proportionately much fewer than in the non-aboriginal population.
The 1996 census figures showed, however, that a smaller percentage of our people had university degrees, 4.1%. That was the case even for first nations at 4.5%. Métis do not have access to the post-secondary assistance programs that Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada provides to first nations and Inuit post-secondary students. To address the situation, we negotiated special provisions in our labour market contribution agreement that allows us to create endowment funds, fund clients for courses up to 64 weeks in length, and support apprenticeship training for the full duration of the apprenticeships. Only our Métis agreements have these agreements.
Métis endowment funds totalling $32 million have now been established at major universities and colleges in Manitoba, Alberta, and Ontario. These endowments have been created on a matching dollar-for-dollar basis with post-secondary institutions. To date they have generated over $4.8 million in revenue, which has gone to provide bursaries to close to 4,000 Métis students. It will continue to provide bursaries for our post-secondary students well into the future, surpassing the initial investment.
Most new jobs require post-secondary education and many university degrees. We want our people to succeed in the labour market, so we support our clients in a course of up to two years in duration to enable them to obtain college and university certificates and diplomas. This is not training for the sake of training, but rather the best way to ensure that clients obtain credentials that will lead to meaningful employment.
Employment remains the ultimate objective as the key measure of program success. Since the beginning of ASETS in 2010 to December 31, 2013, we have together served 9,945 clients of whom 2,221 were still in the process of completing their interventions as of December 31. Of the remaining 7,724 who completed what is known as an action plan, approximately 58% had found employment within 12 weeks and 22% had returned to school, which translates into an 80% success rate. That is not failure, my friends, but success.
Moving forward, spending on aboriginal labour market development is an investment. A number of independent studies have been published in recent years, showing the fiscal impact over the long-term of investing in improving educational and related labour force outcomes for aboriginal people. I encourage you to read the longer version later, and you'll see what the study concludes in increased GDP and so forth, if Métis people are given an extra opportunity. They are cited in our presentation. The results are truly astonishing.
Investing in aboriginal education and skills development is a win-win proposition. It improves the lives of our people. It raises income. It enables first nations, Métis, and Inuit to address Canadian labour market needs. It adds to GDP and increases tax revenues.
Moving forward, we've set out five points of our current federal labour market strategy that could be improved. Métis should no longer be excluded from one important element of the ASETS strategy, which is the support for child care currently only available to first nations and Inuit. It's not available to us. A one-size-fits-all approach will not work. Labour market strategies must be adjusted to the realities of each of the aboriginal peoples of Canada. This means changing the current approach, the strategic planning, and adjusting the terms of the contribution agreements to reflect the realities of each of the aboriginal peoples of Canada.
The Government of Canada must do more to encourage provinces and territories and the private sector to partner with ASETS agreement holders. Although we have had success with partnerships, the Government of Canada should do more to promote ASETS to the business community. We'd like to discuss this with regard to how an aboriginal component could be built into the proposed jobs grant. We believe that provinces, which have done next to nothing to partner with us, should be required in the next generation of LMAs to work with asset holders to optimize delivery of aboriginal labour market programs, including for the Métis. We've echoed that loud and clear, that the provinces have not included us in any of these discussions that are taking place on job grants, yet they're saying the aboriginal people are benefiting. I've yet to see that anywhere in the Métis homeland.
I'll conclude shortly, Mr. Chair. There must be some recognition of the rising costs of education and the burgeoning aboriginal populations. More funding is needed and rather than cap funding levels, an escalator should be built into the program. A more balanced approach must be taken to the accountability regime imposed on ASETS holders. Finally, ASETS and its predecessors have provided the Government of Canada and the aboriginal people of Canada with the basic framework to address aboriginal labour market issues. Programs have been successful, but certain improvements can be made. On behalf of the Métis nation, we can hopefully state that this has been one of the best programs—I'll repeat myself, one of the best programs—we have ever been involved with. It has proven itself over and over. We must continue to improve labour market outcomes for our people and the process will benefit Canada as a whole.
Thank you.