WINNIPEG - JANUARY 11, 2005 - Committed to seeing the City make every effort to strengthen partnerships with the Aboriginal community, Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz announced today an Aboriginal Employment partnership agreement with the Manitoba Metis Federation and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. The partnership will focus on developing strategies for training, recruitment and retention of Aboriginal employees at the City.

This partnership is intended to ensure that the City’s employment opportunities, recruitment and retention strategies reflect the Aboriginal population it serves in Winnipeg. Aboriginal communities will be educated on the type of jobs offered, how to compete effectively, and the education required.

"Through this initiative, the City of Winnipeg is demonstrating its commitment to helping improve employment prospects for Aboriginal people," said Katz. "Our growing aboriginal population can represent an outstanding opportunity for this city if we take the right steps, and this agreement is one of those steps."

"This strategy is consistent with the City administration’s Human Resource vision of a dynamic and diverse workforce of highly skilled employees," said Winnipeg CAO Annitta L. Stenning. "From a diversity perspective the next five to ten years represent a unique opportunity for the City to make significant changes in the composition of our workforce. This partnership will help address our recruitment needs for the future and lead to a workforce more reflective of the Aboriginal population we serve."

MMF President David Chartrand said, "The signing of this MOU is a step closer to a City workforce that truly represents the demographics of Winnipeg. Over half of the Aboriginal people in Winnipeg are Metis. We are very happy that the municipal level of government is recognizing the crucial role of the Federation in ensuring that the rights of the Metis people are respected, and that we are the governance structure responsible for ensuring appropriate Metis programs."

Grand Chief Dennis White Bird The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said, "First Nations residing in Winnipeg make up approximately 3.5% of the City’s total population. Many of these First Nations residing in Winnipeg have the highest rates of unemployment. There are many contributing factors that have led to high unemployment rates, such as education requirements, lack of training and employment challenges. This MOU will create opportunities for increasing First Nations workforce in the City of Winnipeg. It will build capacity within our First Nation population, as well as, create economic growth and increase prosperity for Winnipeg’s economy."

In 2003 Council adopted the report "First Steps: Municipal Aboriginal Pathways" which aligns with Plan Winnipeg’s direction that the City "promote self-reliant Aboriginal Communities".

Winnipeg’s rapidly growing Aboriginal population will have a significant impact on employment, outreach and education. According to the 2001 Census, the Aboriginal population is now over 52,000. That is 21% more than was reported in the 1996 Census. This growing Aboriginal population means there will be a larger pool of Aboriginal people seeking employment. Projected population increases suggest that one in five or perhaps even one in three people seeking work will be of Aboriginal descent.

To deliver excellent service to the community, and succeed as an organization, City officials stated that its workforce must be reflective of the populations it serves. Cooperation and partnership with the Aboriginal community is essential to achieving this goal.