Concern About Demise Of Native Workforce Programs

Concern About Demise Of Native Workforce Programs

Friday, June 11, 2010 at 13:20

A decision by the provincial government to scrap two Aboriginal employment development programs could lead to workfare, a forum on the issue was told yesterday.

Barry Spanslow, who also goes by the name Shining Eagle, made that prediction during an online forum hosted by the Indigenous Peoples Health Research Centre and held yesterday at the University of Regina.

Under the so-called workfare programs, people wanting to receive social assistance must work or take training to improve their job prospects in order to receive their welfare cheques.

The forum was held to discuss the provincial government’s decision to cancel two programs designed to improve Aboriginal representation in the workforce – SAHO’s Aboriginal employment strategy and the Aboriginal Employment Development Program.

Spanslow also said if Aboriginal people don’t like the provincial government’s decision to scrap the programs, they’ve got to do something about it.

He said, back in the late 1980s, when Aboriginal people didn’t like a federal government decision on education, they held a couple of sit-ins.

Spanslow said Aboriginal people have to get pro-active like that again if they want to change the government’s mind.