Daniel MacIsaac
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 17/99) - Aboriginal training programs across Canada will continue to prepare recruits for the working world thanks to an infusion of federal cash.

Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew recently announced the launch of the new Aboriginal Human Resources Development Strategy -- a program that will see $1.6 billion dispersed nationwide over a five-year period, with $100 million making its way North to the NWT and Nunavut.

"With the growing Aboriginal population, we need more jobs to better prepare Aboriginal people for the work force," said Blondin-Andrew in announcing the program. "We need to ensure that Aboriginal people can find their place in the Canadian economy."

Chris Lalande, Blondin-Andrew's Ottawa assistant, said Tuesday that the strategy is a continuation of a series of three-year, regional bilateral agreements that have supported initiatives like the furrier program run by the Inuvialuit and Gwich'in Aboriginal bands. The new strategy also includes programs for youth, people with disabilities and child care.

Lalande said it was largely a result of a 1998 report called Gathering Strength -- Canada's Aboriginal Action Plan, as well as the success of the existing programs, that convinced Ottawa to implement the five-year strategy.

Lalande said the beauty of the strategy is that it allows Aboriginal groups to implement programs as they see fit and ensures some stability.

Patrick Schmidt, acting executive director of community development for the Inuvialuit Development Corporation, agrees.

"It's definitely positive news," he said on Thursday. "The big thing about the five years is that it gives us a planning horizon."

Schmidt said his department runs approximately six core projects, including fur garment training programs out of Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk, and a natural resource technology course run jointly with Aurora College.

"I can't speak for the other groups, but we're happy with the success we've had so far," said Schmidt.

GNWT kept on the outside

News of the billion-dollar strategy was also welcomed by the office of Michael Miltenberger -- the territorial minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. But there is a catch.

"We don't see one dime of that money and we just don't have any control over it," said a staffer at the MLA's office on Tuesday, who asked not to be identified. "This is a bit of an issue since we're trying to co-ordinate dollars at the community level."

Miltenberger has been under particular pressure recently as the Assembly debates the new budget and scrambles to find funding for education and training. The staffer said that for unknown reasons there's little co-ordination between Ottawa and Yellowknife.

"It is a good news thing, we just don't have any control over it," she said.