Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and I very much appreciate the opportunity to present to you today, especially by video conference.
Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada have a shared interest in ensuring that aboriginal people are full participants in the economy and have meaningful employment opportunities. The Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission—that's a bit of a mouthful to say, so I'll refer to it as the SATCC from here on—has a vision of a skilled and representative trades workforce, which is industry trained and certified. The mandate of our organization is to develop and execute a relevant, accessible, and responsive apprenticeship training and certification system to meet the needs of employers, apprentices, journeypersons, and tradespersons.
In Saskatchewan, the number of registered apprentices in the system continues to grow along with Saskatchewan’s economy, which of course results in increased needs for skilled labour. As of June 30, 2013, there were 10,023 apprentices registered in Saskatchewan. At that same time, there were 1,383 aboriginal apprentices registered with the SATCC. This is 13.8% of all apprentices, which is only 1.5% less than the aboriginal population in Saskatchewan.
One of the strategic goals of the SATCC is to encourage under-represented groups to partake in the apprenticeship system and to work in careers in the skilled trades. One of our strategies is to increase the number of registered apprentices in under-represented groups and also to provide more access to apprenticeships for them by removing barriers. Saskatchewan’s aboriginal population is increasingly young, growing, and in many cases, located in close proximity to major resource development projects.
Significantly, a large portion of aboriginal youth on reserve is dependent on income assistance. There are currently 17,400 first nation income assistance recipients on reserve in Saskatchewan. Of those, it is estimated that 13% or roughly 2,200 individuals are 18 to 24. Income assistance beneficiaries, including dependants, represent approximately 48% of the on-reserve population.
Supporting aboriginal youth in securing long-term attachments to the labour market will of course benefit aboriginal communities, employers, businesses, and the provincial economy by reducing dependence on income assistance, helping to address persistent labour shortages, and building opportunities for economic growth.
But to be an apprentice, a person has to be employed. One of the biggest barriers to apprenticeship is finding employment with an employer who will sponsor their apprenticeship. This can be a barrier for many reasons, particularly for many under-represented groups, including first nations and Métis, such as lack of essential skills or transportation or available child care.
Of particular note, it's difficult for first nations people on reserve to continue with their apprenticeship training. This is due to lack of employment in close proximity and a tight attachment to their community. On-reserve training requires additional financial supports, as well as opportunities for paid work experience or employment transition.
The Conference Board of Canada estimates that if Saskatchewan businesses employed aboriginal people at a rate equivalent to the non-aboriginal population, economic activity in Saskatchewan would increase by $1.34 billion in 2015, rising to $1.8 billion in 2035.
The SATCC’s mandate is not pre-employment training. However, the commission recognizes the need for increasing aboriginal employment in the skilled trades, and our organization provides $400,000 in funding each year to the aboriginal apprenticeship initiatives. These are initiatives that are proposed to the SATCC, and often include pre-apprenticeship training or part of apprenticeship training, which is usually done on reserve or in a first nation community
The Government of Saskatchewan’s efforts to engage the first nations and Métis workforce include partnerships to transition people from federal income assistance on reserve into training and jobs, addressing the wait-list for adult basic education, investing in post-secondary education and training for first nations and Métis people, delivery of provincial training programs on reserve, and new support for driver training for youth living on reserve.
A joint task force was established in 2011 by the Government of Saskatchewan with the goal of identifying solutions to address gaps in education and employment outcomes between first nations and Métis people and non-aboriginal people. Public consultations were held and 25 recommendations were brought forward to the Government of Saskatchewan in April 2013.
There are 10 new Active Measures partnerships, primarily including work readiness programs in training and employment centres in partnership with first nations and Saskatchewan colleges. Linking training with economic development activities is particularly important to first nations and Métis.
As of January 2014, the unemployment rate in Saskatchewan was 4.3%. The first nations and Métis unemployment rate is much higher at just under 11%, 10.9%. While this rate has dropped by 2.1% over the last year, there is still much work to be done to bridge that gap.
There is lots of potential for on-reserve businesses in the skilled trades that could further enhance employment in first nations and Métis communities. Some of those businesses could offer entrepreneurship opportunities, employment opportunities. They would have some competitive advantages, and they would be models of success within the community.
Programs that provide connections with employers and employment, and offer quality training to industry standards, paid work placements, and the commitment to enter and complete apprenticeships will see much success in this province. Examples of these successful programs can be found at the Regina and Saskatoon Trades and Skills Centres.
In closing, we look forward to working with you on future apprenticeship initiatives. The Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission is very well-positioned to work with the federal government to pilot any initiatives that will come forward, especially those that will assist young people to engage in employment opportunities and enter into and complete apprenticeships.
I thank you very much for your time and I look forward to working with you.