The Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies has begun a partnership with the City of Saskatoon to create better opportunities for Indigenous students and workers.
The two groups signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the matter in Saskatoon Friday morning.
SIIT officials say this partnership will provide better employment opportunities for Indigenous people in Saskatoon.
“SIIT serves approximately 10,000 students and clients per year across the province,” said Chief Darcy Bear, SIIT Board of Governors Chairperson, in a media release. “Partnerships, such as this one, help provide a better conduit for our students to find employment opportunities within all areas of the city’s workforce.”
Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark says the agreement will help serve the SIIT students who choose to stay in the city after they graduate.
“In working more closely with this academic institution we can ensure that the programming and courses of SIIT fit well with the needs and issues facing the city,” said Mayor Clark in the same media release. “This will support students in a way that advances the needs and aspirations of everyone.”
Key initiatives from the partnership include targeted strategies to recruit students into employment as well as identifying barriers students face when seeking employment. These barriers could include transportation, child care and housing.
(PHOTO: Chief Darcy Bear and Mayor Charlie Clark signing the historic agreement. Photo courtesy Twitter @cityofsaskatoon.)