Mr. Chair, our government is focused on creating jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for all Canadian families. That is why we are proud to work with willing partners on initiatives leading to greater self-sufficiency and prosperity for first nations and communities.
Education is perhaps the most important element in achieving this goal. A good education provides the keys to open the doors to opportunity and success for individuals and communities alike.
Our government continues to ensure that first nations children living on reserve receive the same access to quality education as every other Canadian child and that they are given every opportunity to become full participants in Canadian society. That is why between 2006 and 2013 we increased education funding to first nations by more than 25%.
We have also made additional investments in education infrastructure, the schools and facilities students need to be successful. Since being elected, our government has invested more than $850 million in on-reserve education infrastructure projects. These funds have enabled first nations to complete more than 572 infrastructure projects, including 41 new schools and 531 other school projects, including major renovations to existing facilities.
Through budget 2012, we invested an additional $175 million for the construction of new schools. Moreover, just this past year the Prime Minister announced an investment of $500 million over seven years in the new education infrastructure fund. Economic action plan 2015 reasserts this commitment and would add an additional $200 million to this fund.
Investments from the education infrastructure fund will also be used to develop a training and education program for first nations to support operations and maintenance activities in schools.
Investments from these funds have already begun. In fact, just last week we announced that our government will be investing some of this money in the construction or major renovation of 11 schools in first nations communities across Canada. These projects represent the first phase of investments from the education infrastructure fund. That is in addition to announcements made this spring addressing school infrastructure needs in four northern Manitoba communities.
As a member of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, the issue of aboriginal education is of particular importance to me. In fact, a few months ago, I was absolutely honoured to join my friend and colleague, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, as we made a significant announcement about the construction of the new Crowfoot School on the Siksika First Nation in my riding of Macleod.
Our government has also provided funding for education infrastructure in the Whitecap Dakota First Nation in Saskatchewan. Funding provided to the first nation will serve to renovate the Whitecap Elementary School and will include the addition of two new classrooms for students from kindergarten to grade four.
Our government will also be providing support for the construction of the off-reserve Stonebridge school, also in Saskatchewan, for students in grades five to eight.
With these 11 school projects—five new schools and six renovations—we are making a difference in the lives of more than 1,000 first nations students across this country from kindergarten up to grade 12. These projects will help first nations students have a first-class learning environment. This will allow them to learn the skills and lessons they need to enter the labour market. These are investments in the futures of first nations children and in the futures of their communities.
Economic action plan 2015 would build on the government's investment in the construction and renovation of schools on reserve by providing $200 million over five years, starting in 2015-16.
Construction sites create more than just new schools. They also create jobs. They also create an opportunity for young people to learn marketable skills that will help them succeed in the careers of their choosing. During the construction of these schools, wherever possible, contractors and subcontractors will seek to create jobs and training opportunities for local community members.
Mr. Chair, we are not just making investments in education infrastructure. Our government believes first nations students deserve access to the same quality education as all other Canadian students. To that end, we have contributed nearly $12 billion toward aboriginal education programs since we were elected. Certainly, this funding pays for the construction and renovation of schools, but it also covers the wages of teachers and coaches, and pays for books, computers and sports equipment. Perhaps more importantly the landmark first nations control of first nations education act represented a real and concerted effort to improve education outcomes for first nations youth on reserve. While we are disappointed the Assembly of First Nations was not prepared to accept our offer, our government remains committed to improving educational outcomes on reserve.
We remain a committed partner in first nations education reform and look forward to opportunities to work with first nations that are interested and able to pursue education reform, including through co-operative self-government agreements.
A quality post-secondary education is often the key to getting a good quality job. Our government is working to ensure first nations and Inuit students have access to an education that encourages them to stay in school, graduate and get the skills they need to succeed in the labour market. That is why our government proposes to provide $12 million over three years to Indspire. This would provide post-secondary scholarships and bursaries to first nations students. At least $1 million of this amount will be devoted to supporting students pursuing an education in the skilled trades. This is absolutely critical because skilled trades are desperately needed in Alberta and across Canada.
Since its launch, lndspire has provided scholarships to more than 2,200 first nations and Inuit students on an annual basis. It has also attracted significant support from a wide range of corporate donors, with new investments that will extend the availability of scholarships to thousands more first nations and Inuit youth. Our government, first nations communities and young adults all agree that first nations youth must have the same opportunities as all Canadians to find, keep and enjoy the benefits of a good-paying job. This is why, by making key investments in 2013, our government helped to provide personalized jobs and skills training to more than 4,000 first nations youth between the ages of 18 and 24 who were on income assistance. Participants in that program have access to a wide range of services and programs aimed at increasing their job prospects and supporting them as they move on to the workforce. These services and programs include basic life skills, literacy training, skills training and career counselling
Our government wants to ensure first nations, Inuit and Métis students graduate from high school with the skills and abilities they can put to work in their communities and the Canadian economy. This is absolutely vital to the long-term well-being of communities and Canada's continued prosperity. Our government understands that truth very clearly. Unlike the opposition parties who voted against both structural reform and additional investment, our government is actively working towards this goal.
I would like to ask my esteemed colleague, the parliamentary secretary, a few questions, if I may.
As I spoke earlier in my speech, I know that our government believes that first nations youth deserve access to the same quality education as all other Canadian students. I also know that we are providing the funding to back us up on this belief. As I mentioned earlier in my speech, the parliamentary secretary was in my riding earlier this year to announce funding for a new school to replace the Crowfoot school in the Siksika First Nation. This is absolutely critical funding to replace an education facility in a rebuilding community that was devastated by the floods in 2013.
Could the parliamentary secretary inform this committee of the whole exactly how much money our government has invested in education programming for aboriginal people?