The City of Saskatoon and the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) entered into a partnership this week to increase Indigenous employment.
Both organizations signed a memorandum of understanding to create greater education, career development and training opportunities for Indigenous students and workers in Saskatoon.
The framework plans to identify and address barriers to employment, such as transportation, child care and housing.
“There’s so many stresses going on from trying to pay bills, trying to pay rent, seeking employment once your studies are done. The City of Saskatoon has already been prevalent in our institution by providing resume workshops and presentations,” SIIT Student Association president Violet Swan said.
“I know that by signing this document we’ll be able to see them more and they’ll have a more active presences within our institution.”
In 2014, the two organizations signed an ongoing agreement that provides full-time SIIT students with a discounted bus pass from September to May.
SIIT works with approximately 10,000 clients and post-secondary students annually across Saskatchewan.