May 20, 2005

Advanced Education and Training Minister Diane McGifford and Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Minister Oscar Lathlin announced today the Manitoba government has committed $52,500 toward a new Aboriginal employment strategy for the Regional Health Authority–Central Manitoba (RHA).

"The Manitoba government is continually challenged to address emerging labour-force issues such as an aging population and localized skill shortages," McGifford said. "Innovative community-based solutions such as this employment strategy support the provincial government’s long-term goal of increasing the number of Aboriginal people employed in all areas of the workforce including the health sector."

"Aboriginal people will make up a much larger proportion of the province’s labour force over the next several decades, based on population growth rates," Lathlin said. "Our government is working in partnership with the Aboriginal community to increase participation and success in education and training programs to meet future labour-force needs."

Since 2002, the province has supported four other health authorities in developing Aboriginal employment strategies including North Eastman, Nor-Man, Brandon and Burntwood regional health authorities. Since the signing of the agreement with the Brandon regional health authority, 75 Aboriginal people have been hired in a number of job classifications.

"We will be developing human-resource plans that promote the recruitment and retention of Aboriginal workers in our health authority," said Neil Walker, CEO of the Regional Health Authority–Central Manitoba. "Our long-term goal is to increase the number of Aboriginal people employed by the RHA as we move forward in developing a workforce that is representative of the population it serves."

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