Education

Skills and Partnership Fund

The Skills and Partnership Fund is a project-based program that funds partnerships between Indigenous organizations and industry employers to provide skills training for Indigenous people linked to economic opportunities at the local, regional, and national level.

The most recent call for proposals took place from February to May 2022, seeking projects that will prepare and train Indigenous people for jobs that are demand driven, with a specific focus on 5 priority sectors:

• green economy
• information and communications technology
• infrastructure
• blue economy
• the Indigenous public sector

From this call, 32 proposals were successful. Agreements are in the process of being implemented.

Supports for Student Learning Program (SSLP)

The SSLP funds a range of youth-serving organizations to deliver programs (outside education systems) that help students from Indigenous and other underserved communities graduate high school and transition to and succeed in post-secondary education.

Through the SSLP, the Government of Canada continues to support Indspire, a national Indigenous registered charity that provides First Nations, Inuit and Métis with supports such as bursaries, scholarships, mentorship and career development programming. The SSLP is also funding Musqueam Indian Band to deliver academic, wellness and technology access services to support learners' success.

Other recipients the SSLP has funded to provide targeted supports to Indigenous learners include:

• the British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society
• TakingITGlobal (Connected North)
• the National Association of Friendship Centres
• Ulnooweg Development Group Inc

Canada Student Financial Assistance (CSFA) Program

The CSFA Program provides all eligible students seeking to pursue post-secondary education with access to non-repayable grants and needs-based loans free from interest, in addition to repayment assistance for borrowers with financial difficulty.

The CSFA Program has targeted measures for Indigenous students:

• to minimize their financial burdens and support their participation in Post secondary education (PSE), students who self-identify as Indigenous are exempt from providing a fixed student contribution
• to ensure that Indigenous students are not penalized from receiving additional sources of funding, support provided through the following distinctions-based ISC programs is not considered when assessing a student's financial need:
  • funding provided by the Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) to eligible First Nation students (as of 2017 to 2018)
  • new funding provided by the Métis Nation PSE Strategy to eligible Métis students (as of 2019 to 2020)
  • new funding provided by the Inuit PSE Strategy to eligible Inuit students (as of 2020 to 2021)

Canada Education Savings Program (CESP)

The CESP provides savings incentives to help build financial resources and aspirations for PSE, including the Canada Learning Bond (CLB).

Through the CESP, the CLB provides money to the Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) of an eligible child from a family experiencing low income with no requirement for personal contributions to the RESP. The money saved in an RESP, including the CLB, can be used to pay for education-related expenses associated with full- and part-time studies.

In 2022, ESDC funded community-based organizations across the country through the CLB Pilot Project, Phase II, to increase awareness and take-up of the CLB. Eight projects focused on Indigenous populations in whole or in part. Among the funded projects, activities include:

• supporting families through the CLB enrolment process
• information sessions
• outreach and development of promotional materials
• financial literacy training to Indigenous families and youth

Earlier projects funded in Phase I of the Pilot Initiative produced tools and resources targeted to Indigenous families and youth.

Outbound student mobility supports - Global Skills Opportunity (GSO)

The GSO provides Canadian post-secondary students with study and work opportunities abroad to help them develop skills and build international networks.

Widening access for underrepresented students is a core program objective. Indigenous students are eligible for increased financial support to participate in a GSO-funded study or work abroad experiences. The program design provides flexibility for post-secondary institutions to develop tailored study and work abroad experiences and wrap-around supports that respond to the specific needs, interests and barriers faced by Indigenous students.

Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) Program

The YESS is a horizontal Government of Canada initiative led by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and delivered in partnership with 11 federal departments, agencies, and Crown corporations. The YESS aims to provide a flexible approach to employment services, including enhanced supports that are tailored to the individual needs of youth, aged 15 to 30 years old. In particular, programming focuses on youth facing multiple barriers to employment by providing the opportunity to gain work experience and develop the skills they need to find and keep quality jobs.

The Strategy offers a diverse range of programs, including Canada Summer Jobs, a wage subsidies program that supports employers across Canada to create summer employment opportunities for youth. The YESS Program also provides funding to organizations to deliver a range of activities that help youth overcome barriers to employment and develop a broad range of skills and knowledge in order to participate in the current and future labour market.

Some YESS federal partners offer programming exclusively for Indigenous youth. These programs include the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy, led by Indigenous Services Canada, and the Housing Internship for Indigenous Youth Program, led by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

The ESDC led YESS Program also supports community-based youth organizations by prioritizing Indigenous-led youth employment organizations. Support for Indigenous youth is also reflected in the Canada Summer Jobs national priorities.

The Student Work Placement (SWP)

The Student Work Placement (SWP) program supports the creation of work-integrated learning opportunities for students of all ages enrolled in any post-secondary education program in Canada. The Program provides wage subsidies to employers who offer paid work experience to post-secondary students.

To incentivize employers to offer work placements for marginalized students, the Program offers a higher wage subsidy of 70% of the student's wages, up to a maximum of $7,000. This wage subsidy is for work-integrated learning placements offered to students from under-represented groups, including:

• women in science, technology, engineering mathematics
• Indigenous students
• persons with disabilities
• newcomers
• visible minorities

Since the Student Work Placement program launched in 2017, over 141,000 work-integrated learning opportunities have been created for post-secondary students in all disciplines across Canada, 45% of which have been for students in under-represented groups.

Tłı̨chǫ Government Trades Apprenticeship Program:

$2.4 million has been allocated to the Tłı̨chǫ Government, which will provide financial and other supports to small and medium-sized employers in the Tłı̨chǫ region (Northwest Territories) to hire 30 first-year apprentices in eligible Red Seal trades. Apprentices will get the hands-on experience and training they need toward becoming certified journeypersons in the Red Seal trades as a result of connecting with these job opportunities.

Gabriel Dumont Institute Training and Employment Inc. Indigenous Trades

$1.8 million has been allocated to Gabriel Dumont Institute Training and Employment Inc. to support the development of a training culture with its employer partners by offering incentives and supports to employers who create new apprenticeship jobs for Indigenous individuals in eligible Red Seal trades in Saskatchewan. Employers will commit to train and certify Indigenous apprentices to national industry standards by delivering apprenticeship-specific labour market development programming and best practices.

The Skills for Success Program

The Skills for Success program funds organizations to:

• deliver foundational and transferable skills training
• develop assessment tools, training resources and research
• to test, replicate and scale up innovative approaches

This investment helps individuals:

• develop strong skills
• become more resilient to labour market changes
• have better employment outcomes

so they can participate, adapt and thrive in learning, work and life.

Training initiatives also:

• complement provincial and territorial programming
• support the development of new approaches that address skills gaps
• contribute to training and service delivery that is more responsive to worker and employer needs

The program also supports the labour market integration of underrepresented groups, including Indigenous Canadians.

Recognizing that Indigenous people in Canada face some of the most challenging labour market barriers to employment, in 2022-2023, the Skills for Success program has provided project funding to 20 organizations to support skills and employment training for underrepresented groups, including the Indigenous population. Of these, 6 projects were designed to respond exclusively to the specific needs of Indigenous people.

Elementary and secondary education

Through Budget 2022, the Government of Canada proposes to invest an additional $310.6 million over 5 years to support better students outcomes through a regional education agreement (REA) with the Québec First Nation Education Council (FNEC). FNEC's REA, developed for 22 Québec communities, not only reflects self-determination principles but is also based on over 10 years of work on the part of FNEC and its member communities to design and develop an education funding model that is responsive to the specific needs and priorities of the communities' students. The agreement will provide a total envelope of approximately $1.1 billion over five years for communities to implement education programs that will support the academic success of First Nations students.

The investments in Budget 2022 build on funding announcements in Budget 2021 in which the Government of Canada continued to take steps to close the education gap between First Nations peoples and non-Indigenous Canadians. Budget 2021 included $726 million over 5 years, and $188 million ongoing, to enhance funding for the co-developed framework for elementary and secondary education in critical areas, such as:

• student transportation
• ensuring funding for First Nations schools on reserve remains predictable from year to year
• increasing First Nations control over First Nations education by concluding more regional education agreements

Budget 2021 also included $515 million over 5 years and $112 million ongoing, to support before and after-school programming for First Nations children on reserve which was announced as part of the Canada-wide child care strategy.

Additionally, as a result of work with First Nations partners, Indigenous Services Canada started implementing the Budget 2021 investment in adult education in the amount of $350 million over 5 years to expand access to adult education for First Nations students living on reserve, as well as in Yukon and Northwest Territories. In the spirit of First Nations control of First Nations education, funding for adult education is flexible and First Nations are able to use it to develop their own adult education programs to support students looking to complete or upgrade their secondary education on reserve as well as support First Nations students wanting to access out-of-community adult education programs.

Elementary and secondary education

Through the new funding approach, the Government of Canada and interested First Nations partners are developing regional education agreements that respond to the different needs and priorities of First Nations communities. This approach recognizes that First Nations are best placed to make decisions on their priorities or where they see the greatest need, and aligns with the principle of First Nations control of First Nations education.

As of June 2023, Indigenous Services Canada had concluded and signed 10 regional education agreements with First Nations partners under the Education Transformation policy co-developed framework. Discussions are also underway with over 50 First Nations and First Nations education organizations to advance education agreements across the country.

Post-secondary education

First Nations have been leading engagement to support the development of First Nations regional post-secondary education models. This engagement is intended to enable a transition from the current suite of First Nations post-secondary education programming to holistic approaches and systems that are directed by First Nations and even more responsive to local post-secondary education priorities and needs. Analysis of the engagement narratives submitted to date will begin in early 2024.

Elementary and secondary education

First Nations or mandated First Nations education organizations continue to express interest in the development and renewal of Regional Education Agreements with ISC, which will continue to support First Nations control of First Nations education and a pathway to service transfer.

Post-secondary education

In fiscal year 2023 to 2024 the department will continue to implement co-developed distinctions-based post-secondary education strategies for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation recipients. In addition, Indigenous Services Canada will support the implementation of First Nations-led regional post-secondary education models that further advance First Nations control over First Nations education.

What's happening?

The Government of Canada is also taking meaningful steps towards enhancing education, participation in the labour market and economic success of Indigenous people in Canada. Indigenous Services Canada's First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy is a component of the Government of Canada's Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, led by Employment and Social Development Canada.

The First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy supports initiatives to provide First Nations and Inuit students and youth aged 15 to 30 years with work experience, information about career options and opportunities to develop skills to help gain employment and develop careers. ISC delivers 2 programs under the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy: the First Nations and Inuit Summer Work Experience Program for students and the First Nations and Inuit Skills Link Program.

The First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy programming is supported by an annual base budget of $27.1 million.

The 2020 Fall Economic Statement committed $80 million in funding for 2021 to 2022 for the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy, from which $33.4 million was dedicated to the Income Assistance-First Nations Youth Employment Strategy pilot.

This pilot aims to strengthen the working relationship between the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy and the Income Assistance programs to provide support up to 2,000 First Nations youth between the ages of 18 and 30 years to achieve self-sufficiency and transition to the workforce or return to school, reducing long term dependency on Income Assistance.

In addition, Employment and Social Development Canada's Indigenous labour market programming plays a key role to support the growth of Indigenous communities and foster lifelong learning, skills development and training. Federal support for Indigenous labour market programming has a long history, starting with the Pathways to Success program in 1991 to 1996 to the current Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) program, launched in 2019.

The ISET program is a co-developed, distinctions-based labour market program designed to support First Nations, Inuit, Métis, urban and non-affiliated Indigenous peoples to improve their skills and work towards their long-term career goals.

The program funds a network of more than 115 Indigenous service delivery organizations with more than 650 points of service to provide Indigenous peoples with training and supports to improve their skills and secure employment.

As announced in the 2018 Budget, an investment of $2 billion over 5 years in the ISET program and $408.2 million per year thereafter will contribute to a reduction in the employment and skills gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

The program supports a holistic approach to service delivery that encompasses a wide range of labour market activities including locally designed programs in support of each distinctions-based labour market strategy. Indigenous service delivery organizations may provide:

• employment-related and career development assistance
• wrap-around services such as living expenses
• financial assistance to support individuals in getting skills for employment
• tuition or living expense costs
• business coaching and mentorship
• disability-related supports

The 2020 Fall Economic Statement announced a $144.2 million one-year investment for the ISET program in 2021 to 2022 to support COVID-19 recovery efforts by increasing training and supports for clients facing the most barriers. The additional investments under the ISET program enabled Indigenous organizations to focus programming on client needs, providing the wrap-around supports and expanded activities to improve the outcomes of Indigenous youth, persons with disabilities and out of territory or urban clients in post-pandemic recovery. From this envelope, $35.3 million in funding was targeting Indigenous youth.

Complementing the foundational supports provided through the highly successful ISET program, the Skills and Partnership Fund (SPF) is a project-based program that funds partnerships between Indigenous organizations and industry employers to provide skills training for Indigenous peoples linked to economic opportunities at the local, regional and national level.

By increasing access to training that is demand-driven, SPF plays a key role in directly linking Indigenous peoples to specific jobs and improving their employment outcomes. SPF has the flexibility to adjust to Indigenous and government priorities, as well as address emerging economic opportunities.

SPF aims to reduce the skills and employment gaps that exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples and increase Indigenous participation in the labour market by ensuring Indigenous participants have improved skills and employment opportunities.

With an ongoing investment of $50 million per year, SPF focuses on training Indigenous peoples for industry-identified, specific jobs that align with emerging labour market needs and government priorities.

Recent budget investments

The 2022 Fall Economic Statement provided $802.1 million over 3 years, starting in 2022 to 2023, to the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy. This includes $301.4 million over 2 years, starting in 2023 to 2024, through the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program, to provide wraparound supports and job placements to young people facing employment barriers, with $54 million provided to the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy.

$100.2 million over 3 years, starting in 2022 to 2023, was also provided to continue supporting work placements for First Nations youth through the Income Assistance-First Nations Youth Employment Strategy pilot. Budget 2021 announced $109.3 million for 2022 to 2023 for the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy to better meet the needs of vulnerable youth facing multiple barriers to employment, from which $28.8 million was allocated to ISC to implement through the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy.

Recent progress

In 2016 and 2017, Employment and Social Development Canada engaged with key Indigenous partners and organizations across the country to review and renew the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy. Following this engagement, Employment and Social Development Canada and Indigenous partners co-developed the implementation of the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) program.

Launched in 2019, the ISET program built upon the success of the previous Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy, introducing several engagement identified enhancements. These include:

• the distinctions-based framework
• greater stability of funding with 10-year agreements
• improved flexibility
• reduced administrative burden
• strengthened supports for information gathering
• stronger links to other programs

Indigenous service delivery organizations, some of which have been in place for over 20 years, continue to ensure that communities have access to skills and employment training designed and delivered by Indigenous-led organizations.

In January 2021, Employment and Social Development Canada launched a national engagement process gathering input from Indigenous partners, industry, educational institutions, provincial and territorial governments and other federal departments to inform the development of a future policy approach for the Skills and Partnership Fund.

Informed by what was learned from the nearly 200 engagement participants, a What We Learned report was published in February 2022, and the Minister approved a new phased policy approach for SPF.

As a first step, the results and feedback from the engagement process informed the most recent SPF CFP launched in 2022, which included:

• specific focus on five priority sectors (Green Economy, Information and Communications Technology, Infrastructure, Blue Economy, Indigenous Public Sector)
• consideration for sustainability of projects when ESDC funding ends
• focus on employer cultural awareness and competencies

As subsequent phases, resulting from the 2021 engagement, work will also continue internally and with partners to develop additional policy options for the medium and long term.

Each year, the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy supports more than 600 First Nations and Inuit communities to design and implement projects that provide skills development and employment opportunities to Indigenous youth.

For the first year of the pilot, as of December 1, 2021, 1,474 First Nations youth participated in the Income Assistance First Nations Youth Employment Strategy.

Next Steps

Indigenous Services Canada is working to implement 2022 Fall Economic Statement allocation for the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy. The department will continue participating in delivering education and skills development programs under the broader Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, which is led by Employment and Social Development Canada. This program promotes access to skills, work experience and information about career options to help First Nations and Inuit youth gain employment. Indigenous Services Canada will continue to work with Employment and Social Development Canada to ensure employment supports for Indigenous youth.

The Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People outlined the work the federal government will take toward ensuring Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people are represented and included in the public service workforce, including in senior positions, through targeted efforts such as amending the Public Service Employment Act to affirm the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce and avoid biases and barriers in hiring.

The Government of Canada will explore options to support Indigenous governments and organizations in their rematriation efforts, including supporting them in their efforts to increase the representation of women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in their leadership.

Federal efforts will focus on increasing education, training and economic opportunities for Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

Through initiatives such as the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, which includes the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy, the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training program, the Women's Employment Readiness Pilot and the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, the Government of Canada will enhance and expand support for Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

The Federal Pathway to address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, released in June 2021, also affirms that measures to address socio-economic barriers to education, training and employment are a Government of Canada priority.

This will contribute to:

• enhancing access to child care
• information about career options
• the opportunity to develop skills
• participating in the economy
• overcoming the multiple barriers to employment

Notably, through these initiatives, women entrepreneurs will have greater access to financing, mentorship and training.

The Government of Canada also commits to enhancing federal initiatives to support Indigenous service providers, Indigenous entrepreneurs, Indigenous businesses and commercial entities.

Indigenous post-secondary education

Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) supports 3 distinctions-based strategies to provide financial assistance to eligible Indigenous students pursuing post-secondary education.

In accordance with a comprehensive review of federal supports for Indigenous post-secondary education announced in 2019, the Government of Canada committed to work with the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the Métis National Council to develop distinctions-based strategies to advance post-secondary education opportunities.

These strategies incorporate student support, understanding of local needs and community-based programs and services to holistically support Indigenous students to attain a post-secondary credentials.

First Nations Post-Secondary Education Strategy

Budget 2019 provided $320 million over 5 years to enhance the First Nations Post-Secondary Student Support Program, in addition to $7.5 million over 3 years to support First Nations-led engagement on the development of First Nations regional post-secondary education models. These models are intended to enable First Nations to transition from the current suite of post-secondary programs to holistic approaches that are responsive to First Nations local priorities and needs.

ISC also supports the implementation of the Post-Secondary Partnerships Program by providing funding to support First Nations post-secondary institutions, and to support First Nations-led partnerships with post-secondary institutions to increase the availability of post-secondary education programs tailored to their cultural and educational needs.

Indigenous skills and employment training

Employment and Social Development Canada's Indigenous labour market programming plays a key role to support the growth of Indigenous communities and fosters lifelong learning, skills development and training.

Indigenous Services Canada has been a partner department in the delivery of Employment and Social Development Canada's Youth Employment and Skills Strategy since 1997 through the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy.

The First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy supports initiatives to provide First Nations and Inuit students and youth ages 15 to 30 years old with work experience, information about career options and opportunities to develop skills to help gain employment and develop careers. Indigenous Services Canada delivers 2 programs under the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy: the First Nations and Inuit Summer Work Experience Program for students and the First Nations and Inuit Skills Link Program.

Additionally, ISC supports the Income Assistance-First Nations Youth Employment Strategy Pilot. This pilot aims to strengthen the working relationship between the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy and the Income Assistance programs to support up to 2,000 First Nations youth between the ages of 18 and 30 years old to achieve self-sufficiency and transition to the workforce or return to school, reducing long term dependency on Income Assistance.

Federal support for Indigenous labour market programming has a long history, starting with the Pathways to Success program in 1991 to 1996 to the current Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) program launched in 2019. The ISET program is a co-developed, distinctions-based labour market program designed to support First Nations, Inuit, Métis and urban or non-affiliated Indigenous peoples to improve their skills and work towards their long-term career goals.

The program funds a network of over 110 Indigenous service delivery organizations with over 650 points of service to provide Indigenous peoples with training and supports to improve their skills and secure employment.

As announced in the 2018 Budget, an investment of $2 billion over 5 years in the ISET program, and $408.2 million per year thereafter, will contribute to a reduction in the employment and skills gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

The program supports a holistic approach to service delivery that encompasses a wide range of labour market activities including locally designed programs in support of each distinctions-based labour market strategy. Indigenous service delivery organizations may provide:

• employment-related and career development assistance
• wrap-around services such as living expenses
• financial assistance to support individuals in getting skills for employment
• tuition or living expense costs
• business coaching and mentorship
• disability-related supports

The 2020 Fall Economic Statement announced a $144.2 million one-year investment for the ISET program in 2021 to 2022 to support COVID-19 recovery efforts by increasing training and supports for clients facing the most barriers through the ISET program. The additional investments under the ISET program will enable Indigenous organizations to focus programming on client needs, providing the wrap-around supports and expanded activities to improve the outcomes of Indigenous youth, persons with disabilities and out of territory or urban clients in post-pandemic recovery. From this envelope, $35.3 million in funding will directly support Indigenous youth.

Complementing the foundational supports provided through the ISET program, the Skills and Partnership Fund (SPF) is a project-based program that funds partnerships between Indigenous organizations and industry employers to provide skills training for Indigenous peoples linked to economic opportunities at the local, regional and national level.

By increasing access to training that is demand-driven, the SPF plays a key role in directly linking Indigenous peoples to specific jobs and improving their employment outcomes. SPF has the flexibility to adjust to government priorities and address emerging economic opportunities.

SPF aims to reduce the skills and employment gaps that exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples and increase Indigenous participation in the labour market by ensuring Indigenous participants have improved skills and employment opportunities. With an ongoing investment of $50 million per year, SPF focuses on training Indigenous peoples for industry-identified, specific jobs that align with emerging labour market needs and government priorities.