News
Gabriel Dumont Institute Partners with Corrections Canada to Create Jobs
Oct 23, 2019
Posted in: employment, Partnership
A Partnership Agreement between Gabriel Dumont Institute and the federal Correctional Service Canada (CSC) was initiated in 2018 to help create opportunities for Saskatchewan Métis in the federal public service.
In the summer of 2018, Gabriel Dumont Institute, as represented by Executive Director Geordy McCaffrey and Training and Employment Director Audrey Hestand, and Correctional Service Canada (represented by Nick Fabiano, Acting Assistant Commissioner for Human Resources Management) signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at working together to enable Métis individuals gain employment with the CSC in Saskatchewan.
The agreement highlights GDI commitment to providing “financial assistance to a maximum of 10 Métis qualified candidates with training allowances” for Correctional Training Program. The training has duration of 12-13 weeks to be completed in Kingston Ontario. GDI complemented the CSC Correctional Training Program with a 26-week wage subsidy to support employment success for our Métis candidates. The original MOU has since been expanded to include health related opportunities in the CSC federal system.
This month, a top civil servant at CSC, Director General Nathalie Dufresne-Meek, sent a letter to Geordy stating that she looks “forward to continued collaboration in accomplishing our shared goal … and to hire Métis candidates.” The first successful CSC graduate was offered employment in March 2019.
The Institute has co-hosted informational recruitment and testing sessions with the CSC across Saskatchewan. The next session will be held at the Dumont Technical Institute facility on 1003 – 22nd Street West Saskatoon on May 14th and May 15th between 6:00pm – 9:00 pm.
Bill Lehne, an Employment Services Manager at Gabriel Dumont Institute Training and Employment Saskatoon, heads the project. Bill stated that an “internal process to accommodate public inquiries has been developed at the Institute to pre-register clientele and to ensure that the Institute is able to accommodate interested clientele wishing to attend the evening event.” Bill asserted that there is a growing public interest in the partnership with attendance at our information and recruitment sessions across the province growing each time. “This is an exciting career opportunity. It is the first time GDI has gained access to the federal public service commission,” he said.
Corey Spence is the first of our clients to complete the program. Corey was offered employment with the CSC in Prince Albert as soon as he completed his training in March 2019.
Bill noted that the partnership with CSC will create a variety of career opportunities for Métis clients including as correctional officers, parole officers, and health related positions within the federal system that may be attractive to graduates of the Gabriel Dumont College, Dumont Technical Institute, Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP), as well as Métis graduates of other post-secondary institutions.
Corey Spence
