Grande Prairie Friendship Centre gets funding boost for strategic employment plan

Alberta’s Grande Prairie Friendship Centre (GPFC) has received $100,000 from the Urban Partnerships program as part of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada’s Urban Aboriginal Strategy. The funds will go towards the end stages of the development of a strategic plan to address employment barriers for local urban First Nations people. The first 2 stages of the project, which were funded by the province, identified barriers to employment and the needs of the urban Aboriginal community, including education, transportation, health, skills development, and workforce preparation. Consultations with the local Aboriginal community and industry were held in the first stages, with plans to bring the stakeholders together for further dialogue in the third stage. The resulting strategic plan will also help inform the Urban Aboriginal Strategy Regional Strategic Plan for Alberta. Kelly Benning, Executive Director of GPFC, said she hopes the development of the plan will lead to more skills development training and programs that help First Nations people return to the workforce or upgrade skills. Daily Herald Tribune