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By Angela Brown

Ministry of Highways

Partnership offers skills, employment to local area Indigenous communities

Mar 8, 2022 | 4:54 PM

A partnership between the Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways and Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man First Nation (MGBHLM) Economic Development Corporation is providing opportunities for Indigenous workers in the Battlefords area to gain training and employment.

Economic Development CEO Grant Beaudry said representatives from the Ministry of Highways will be visiting the local area later this month to fill eight more positions as part of the Indigenous Roving Crew Program. In total the Ministry will hire 24 individuals for this summer to staff three roving crews – in North Battleford, Saskatoon and Yorkton districts.

“The partnership between the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure in the Central Region Diversity Initiative Program provides opportunities for First Nations to develop their skills and acquire the training from Highways, to further their careers with Highways or other organizations and companies,” Beaudry said.

The ongoing partnership helps to provide comprehensive training and work experience. It also serves as a succession plan to hire more staff since the Ministry of Highways is anticipating many positions will be available over the next 10 years as more people retire.

The seasonal work runs from May to October each year. Once people are trained they can come back each year in the program.

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Workers may be involved in everything from flagging, to highways maintenance work, replacing signage, operating heavy equipment, and providing labour support for work on roads as well as culvert repairs.

Gary Toy is the acting manager of personnel and internal program delivery for Central Region operations branch with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways.

“We have a great working relationship with the Indigenous community in the Battlefords area,” he said. “The program provides many Indigenous people, not exclusive to but most are Indigenous, with employment opportunities for the summer.”

He said the crew headquarters out of North Battleford so the department is looking to hire people from the local area.

Toy noted many individuals who have gone through the program have successfully gained employment with the Ministry or a private industry.

He has been working with Beaudry on the program since about 2013. Since then, in total they have hired over 50 employees for the initiative. Some acquired full-time employment with the Ministry and others Term employment through the program. Some have also gone on to pursue work in the oilfields after taking the program.

Toy said the initiative actually started in 2006 and continues to be successful in the region.

—

Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow