GDI is a Saskatchewan-based educational, employment and cultural institute serving Métis across the province
Feb 7, 2020
Posted in: Apprenticeship, employment, HETT, Partnership, Press Release, workplace
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, February 7, 2020 – The Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure and Gabriel Dumont Institute (GDI) have signed a memorandum of understanding to increase Indigenous participation in the trades.
The memorandum of understanding builds on over a decade of close working relationship between the two partners to increase Indigenous recruitment and participation in trades and apprenticeship training in Saskatchewan. GDI will subsidize Indigenous participant wages and provide them with support, including counselling and financial assistance, while the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure will offer training opportunities at their facilities under supervision and mentorship of qualified professionals. The Ministry will also provide reasonable opportunity for Indigenous participants to be retained as part of their workforce once they complete training.
The Indigenous participants will achieve certificates of qualification from post-secondary institutions, certificates of apprenticeship, and interprovincial Red Seal endorsements from the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission.
“Since 2011, Gabriel Dumont Institute has partnered with and employers across Saskatchewan, to create over 1,000 apprenticeship and trades-related jobs for Indigenous men and women. Today, one out of every five registered Indigenous apprentices in Saskatchewan has been through the GDI Indigenous Apprenticeship Program,” said Geordy McCaffrey, Executive Director of Gabriel Dumont Institute.
“About 200 Indigenous people have taken apprenticeship training and heavy equipment and truck and transport technician program at the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure workshops across Saskatchewan through our partnership with Gabriel Dumont Institute. Many, including nine journeyperson-certified heavy equipment technicians, have been hired by the Ministry after completing their training,” said Hon. Greg Ottenbreit, Minister of Highways and Infrastructure.
Apprenticeship programming in Saskatchewan is employer-driven and GDI works with industry to ensure that the labour market needs of the communities it operates in are considered and Indigenous participation is enhanced.
For more information and for media inquiries, please contact:
Geordy McCaffrey
Executive Director
Gabriel Dumont Institute
Phone: 306-657-2231 geordy.mccaffrey@gdi.gdins.org
Steve Shaheen
Senior Communications Consultant
Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure
Phone: 306-933-5641
steve.shaheen@gov.sk.ca
Gabriel Dumont Institute is a Métis-owned post-secondary and cultural institution in Saskatchewan. It is the parent company to a number of subsidiaries, including the Dumont Technical Institute, Gabriel Dumont College, GDI Training and Employment, the Métis Culture and Heritage Department, Gabriel Dumont Institute Press, and the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP). The Institute is marking its 40th anniversary in 2020.
GDI is a Saskatchewan-based educational, employment and cultural institute serving Métis across the province
