Alberta News
Three grants will help provide Indigenous women in Alberta with the skills and support they need to find careers and improve their livelihoods.
Funding to the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women (IAAW) will support programs to help Indigenous women find jobs, security and success in Alberta’s rapidly recovering economy.
With a focus on job readiness, retention and improved access to vital services, these programs will help participants build skills and confidence by offering customized plans to help develop career paths, from pre-employment training and education to long-term achievements in the workplace.
The IAAW will also provide advocacy, referrals and strategies for mental health, housing, transportation, child care and assistance navigating the justice system.
Quick Facts
- Fifty Indigenous women will benefit from the Job Readiness Navigator and 35 will access the Job Retention Navigator programs.
- In the System Navigator’s first year (2020-21), 95 women and their families participated, which amounted to about 225 individuals receiving direct or indirect support through the program.
- Funding for the job readiness and retention navigator programs was provided through the Employment Partnerships Program (EPP).
- The EPP provides funding to Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program agreement holders for Indigenous workforce development. This program is funded federally through the Canada-Alberta Labour Market Development Agreement.
- A set amount of $15,000 from the IAAW’s $115,000 annual operational funding agreement is dedicated to the annual Esquao Awards, which celebrate exemplary Indigenous women across Alberta.
