MOVING TOWARD BETTER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The ten-year skills training and employment Accord signed in June 2018 between the Government of Canada and the Métis National Council has given the Metis Nation hope to finally be able to enter the labour market with the same chances of success as anyone else—guaranteed over the long term.

On June 15, 2018, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, federal Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, and the governing members of the Métis National Council, including MMF President David Chartrand, signed a skills training and employment accord that will remain in effect until 2028. This is the first sub-accord under the Canada-Metis Nation Accord signed in 2017. “This is a big moment for us because, for the first time ever, our agreements with the Federal Government will not depend on who is in power and they will not be able to be changed without notice,” explained John Fleury, the MMF Minister of Metis Employment and Training. “We will really be able to move forward, in partnership with the Federal Government.” The Accord provides for approximately $625.4 million in funding from the Federal Government to the Metis Nation over ten years, approximately $58 million of which will be provided in 2018-2019 to implement or improve programs intended to enhance the ability of Metis people to find and keep employment. This could include job exploration programs for youth in high school and support to increase the graduation rate among Metis youth, career development support, including aid to cover related expenses that could act as a roadblock to finding or keeping a job (such as childcare or moving expenses), professional development programs, support for entrepreneurs, and many other options. “We are still in the process of deciding on the practical applications. This Accord provides us with a general framework and stability to take action,” explained Kerry Smith, the MMF’s Senior Director of Metis Employment and Training. “It will be up to our people to create their own programs based on their specific needs,” pointed out Minister Fleury. Although the details are still being worked out, the goal is very clear: to strengthen the abilities and opportunities of the Metis people to access and remain in the workforce, and to facilitate their participation in employment in all sectors. “Through this Accord, we will be able to ensure that the Metis workforce is seen as being equally as valuable as all other people and, in doing so, break the vicious cycle of poverty,” stated John Fleury. “This is going to change the lives of the Metis Nation. As our president David Chartrand often says, our time has come.” The last employment and training agreement between the Metis Nation and Canada was created in 2005 and ended in 2010. “The Conservatives didn’t want to sign an agreement with the Metis. Now, with the Liberals, we feel acknowledged and respected. The relationship is finally one of equality,” concluded Kerry Smith.