New funding aims to get more First Nation people working in Sask. energy, mining sectors

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The province has teamed up with the Saskatchewan First Nations Natural Resource Centre of Excellence to find out how to get more Indigenous Peoples working in the energy sector.

On Monday, the province announced a $400,000 investment with the First Nations-led organization to conduct a needs assessment to identify barriers Indigenous peoples face when trying to find jobs in natural resource industries.

According to its website, the centre is a creation of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, which founded the organization in 2009 to work with First Nations communities that were interested in getting involved in oil and gas, mining or renewable energy on their own lands.

"We are constantly working toward creating a future where our communities are valued partners and thriving in the energy resource sector," Centre of Excellence CEO Sheldon Wuttunee said in a news release.

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Through the funding, the centre will engage Indigenous communities, organizations and educational institutions to develop strategies and recommend program delivery options to connect more First Nations people to jobs in natural resources, the news release says.

As one of the fastest-growing population groups in the country, the province says the move is key to its labour market strategy.

“Engagement of Indigenous communities in the workforce is essential to the continued growth of Saskatchewan and is a key component of our province’s recently released labour market strategy,” said Jeremy Harrison, immigration and career training minister.

"Partnerships such as this help create new opportunities and ensure the Indigenous workforce has every opportunity to benefit from the jobs being created by Saskatchewan's strong and growing economy."