Fisheries are at the heart of Inuit communities across Nunavut. In recent decades, it has grown into a cornerstone economic sector for the territory, providing jobs in communities both onshore and offshore. Since 2004, the Nunavut Fisheries and Marine Training Consortium (NFMTC) has facilitated training and skills development for Inuit to take advantage of these opportunities.
On December 13, the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, PrairiesCan and CanNor, announced an investment of $857,950 towards program expansion at NFMTC. This investment will allow the organization to develop a mentoring curriculum, train Inuit mentors and mentees, and evaluate their Business Management certificate program which is being co-developed with the Marine Institute and Nunavut Arctic College.
The mentoring curriculum will support educational opportunities for workers to gain new skills and help them build careers. The results of this initiative will promote economic reconciliation through increased Inuit representation in managerial and technical positions on vessels and on land. In turn, these new professional opportunities will contribute to the economic growth of Nunavut communities.
Quotes
"Our government is proud to be supporting education and training opportunities in Nunavut's fishing and marine industries. The mentorship programming offered by the NFMTC will help train the next generation of Inuit fishers, who will lead their industry to new successes while generating new economic growth for themselves, their families and their communities."
The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, PrairiesCan and CanNor
"For many years, we have concentrated on training geared toward entry level jobs. It is time for a movement towards higher levels of jobs which will lead to an increase in economic growth for the crew, their families and their communities. As well, it will create the opportunity for new Inuit crew to join the fishing industry - starting at entry level and moving up as they gain experience. We are grateful to CanNor for funding this initiative to create growth in the Nunavut fishing industry."
Elisabeth Cayen, Executive Director, Nunavut Fisheries and Marine Training Consortium
Quick facts
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The Inclusive Diversification and Economic Advancement in the North (IDEANorth) program makes foundational investments in economic infrastructure, sector development and capacity building to help position Northerners in the territories to take advantage of Canada's innovation economy.
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CanNor is contributing $857,950 over five years to this project, with the NFMTC adding $230,601, the Arctic Fisheries Alliance $4,198, Baffin Fisheries $13,547, Cumberland Sound Fisheries Ltd. with $4,167 and Qikiqtaaluk Corporation with $4,537. Total funding for the project is $1,115,000.
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