Chaired jointly in 2006-2007 by:
1. Saskatchewan Northern Affairs for the provincial government;
2. Athabasca Economic Development and Training Corporation representing Aboriginal training and economic development agencies; and
3. Northlands College , Western Region, representing training agencies/industry.

Attended by
Decision-makers in training, planning, and economic development including representatives from federal and provincial governments, school divisions, training institutions, training funders, economic development agencies, local and Aboriginal authorities, and private industry.

1. Education and Training Initiatives

• The mobile training lab for northern Saskatchewan was purchased last year by a partnership of Industry and Resources, Advanced Education and Employment (AEE), Northern Apprenticeship Committee, Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST), and Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission. The purpose of the lab is to provide a facility for teaching certified trades training right at an industrial site or a northern community. The facility is equipped to train electrical, plumbing/gas fitting, industrial mechanic, welding, machinist, and steam fitting/pipe fitting. Over the winter, Level I and 2 Electrical and Industrial Mechanic apprenticeship programs were delivered in the lab at Cigar Lake mine. Nine students in electrical and 8 students in mechanics graduated. The lab is being equipped for a seventh trade and then will go to Creighton until the end of the year. The province purchased two more labs, one designated for Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies and the other for other areas of the province. The partner agencies formed a committee to organize the training schedule for the lab. The committee is asking for proposals for those wishing to use the lab in 2008. The deadline for submissions is June 15.

2. Subcommittees' Training and Employment Work plans

• The role of Athabasca Economic Development and Training Corp . (AEDTC) is to be a player in developments that improve training delivery, increase job and business opportunities, and provide a more stable transportation system in the Athabasca region. AEDTC would like to see a regional training facility established. AEDTC continues to build its business capacity through a family of for-profit companies including mineral exploration services, janitorial, construction of housing units for Rabbit Lake mine, and manufacture of pre-cast concrete segments for Cigar Lake mine. AEDTC purchased 50% of Points North Freighting last year and the company is busy serving the exploration industry. AEDTC will explore the potential for expanding into services for mineral exploration camps, hauling concrete at mines, expanding the commercial fishing industry, and road construction opportunities on the new Wollaston all-weather road.

  
  
  
• Since January, the manager of the Northern Apprenticeship Committee (NAC) indentured 40 new apprentices and assisted 55 apprentices with living expenses so that they could attend training at SIAST. AEE provides the funds to support apprentices during their technical training. AEE recently confirmed $50,000 for the manager's wages this year and is working to establish longer-term funding. Wage Subsidy Phase II, funded by Northern Development Agreement (NDA), has commenced to support 13 apprentices employed by small to medium businesses. The goal is to encourage businesses across the north to hire and indenture northern workers and motivate the businesses to retain the employees when the subsidy is finished. NAC is looking at organizing a trades forum to be held in the autumn prior to the next NLMC. Several years ago, NLMC successfully lobbied for a northern representative on the board of the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission. The representative recently resigned and NLMC will contact the Commission to request them to begin the process of refilling this position.
  

   

• The Oil Sands Subcommittee was formed in 2000 with a mandate of enabling northern residents to take advantage of employment opportunities in the oil sands sector. The subcommittee has been inactive except for the activities of the coordinator who undertook the employment referral services of the Northern Neighbours-Bridges to Employment and the Job Horizons phases. Two consulting firms undertook the administration with funding from the federal and provincial governments. Job Horizons funding expired this spring and the project has ended. Communities see a need for a renewal of the project to assist their residents to employment in oil developments and exploration. A proposal was submitted to the NDA requesting $900,000 towards funding a new phase of the project. If approved, the subcommittee could be re-established by autumn.

   

• The province has provided funding for 2007-2008 for the Forestry Training Plan, administered by the Forestry Training Subcommittee. Although activity in the forest sector is slow, two training proposals were received so far. Last year, the Plan supported 50 trainees in 6 training programs. Over the years, 80% of the participants in training have been of Aboriginal heritage and 60% have been from the northern region of the commercial forest.

   

• Gary Tinker Federation for the Disabled is pursing the development of an activity centre in La Ronge for disabled people from the north. The federation is continuing to deliver its wage subsidy program for employers who hire disabled workers.

   

• The Health Sector Training Committee was formed in the 1990's during the establishment of the Health Districts and the construction of the La Ronge Health Centre but has been inactive for a number of years. The subcommittee was re-established to address today's skill shortages and employment opportunities in the health sector. The subcommittee is searching for $70,000 in funding to undertake research this summer to identify employment and training for the health sector and to begin negotiations for a multi-party training plan. By autumn, the subcommittee will have come to a decision about the possible melding of this subcommittee with the Northern Health Strategy's technical group and will have some training plans in place. The Committee received the moral support of NLMC in their quest for resources to hold a community health development forum and to develop orientation material for use in the recruitment of health professionals.

   

• Traditional Economies membership from Saskatchewan Cooperative Fisheries Ltd. (SCFL) went to Ottawa last week to meet with a variety of departments and politicians to lobby for an export license – a necessity in the plan to revitalize the Saskatchewan commercial fishing industry. Under the current sales system, Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation (FFMC), a federal crown corporation, is the only authority able to export freshwater fish. Saskatchewan can choose to opt out of FFMC as long as the other western provinces approve. An export license would enable the new Saskatchewan company – Wild Northern Fish Company - to expand their sales, fully utilize a variety of fish species, ensure quality, and market a “brand name” product as wild and sustainable. Other keys to success include evening out the seasonal spikes in production, ice-making equipment at lakeside facilities, and new oven-ready products. The fishers prefer that FFMC continue to operate but in an open market system, with fishers able to sell to whomever they wish. The project requires $7M to purchase a new 2,300 square foot processing plant in Prince Albert , buy equipment, and establish a line-of credit and reserve funds. Training would be required for about 100 new fishers as well as fish plant workers.

• Traditional Economies trappers must operate, as of April 1, 2007 , under the European Union requirement that wild fur imports into the EU be trapped with humane types of traps. Of the 800 licensed trappers in northern Saskatchewan , only 100 have been trained in the new methods. Woodland Cree Ent. and Prince Albert Grand Council, Athabasca Branch, will look at arranging funding and training through Northlands College .

• The Economic Development Subcommittee 's proposed Economic Development Conference in La Ronge has been postponed to July. However, the conference will only proceed upon making up a funding shortfall of $30,000. Organizers are awaiting Ministers' responses on the dates that they are available to attend.

• This spring, New North started the two-year Northern Youth Leadership program led by two youth coordinators. The coordinators will assist youth to set up two- to six-member Councils in their communities. The aim of the youth councils is to work with youth to reduce youth involvement in crime, get youth participating in their communities, and help youth gain leadership skills and self-esteem. The program is open to youth between the ages of 13 and 29. The 10 communities involved in the project are La Ronge, Beauval, Buffalo Narrows , Cumberland House, Ile a la Crosse, La Loche, Pinehouse, Sandy Bay , Stony Rapids, and Black Lake . Plans are also underway for a youth leadership conference in La Ronge from October 19 to 21.

• The goal of the Multi-Party Training Plan (MPTP), administered by the Mineral Sector Steering Committee, is to increase the number of northern Saskatchewan residents working at the mines and increase their skill levels. Monitoring of employment at northern mine sites show that northern employment was the highest ever in 2006 - an annual average of 1,266 northern workers who made up 52% of the total workforce. 41% of northern company employees were in higher skilled occupations such as trades, supervisory, and technical jobs compared to 34% in 1992 before MPTP began. Since MPTP began in 1993, partners have provided $40M to support students and businesses and fund training seats, apprenticeships, and scholarships. In MPTP Phase 3 (2003 to 2008), partners have cost-shared 1,375 enrolments in a range of programs from basic education to technical training. Businesses and residents of northern Saskatchewan earned $283M from the mines in 2005 in contracts and payroll.