Quality Education Backgrounder – Ministry of Indigenous Services
Current Challenge
Gaps in graduation rates – about 44% of First Nations on-reserve (age 18-24) have completed high school, compared to 88% for other Canadians
Métis Nation Accord Annex: Employment and Training
The Parties agree to work together to develop the next phase of Indigenous labour market programming. This will include exploring a multi-year Métis Nation-specific approach to and/or Accord in support of a renewed Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy (ASETS) or its successor strategy. Discussions will focus on important labour market elements including a discussion of issues related to youth, child care, labour market information, partnerships, governance, resources and mutual accountabilities.
The Parties will also discuss ways to strengthening Métis participation in the Strategic Partnership Fund as well as other Indigenous and non-Indigenous supports directed at improving the labour market conditions of Métis.
Progress-to-Date
June 15, 2018 – Métis Nation Skills and Employment Accord supports employment services, skills development, and job training. The Métis Nation Skills and Employment Accord marks the first sub-accord under the Canada-Métis Nation Accord signed by the Prime Minister and Métis Nation leadership in 2017. Budget 2018 provides for $625,369,476 over 10 years for the Métis Nation stream of the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program.
Sept. 21, 2018 – Building on the priorities outlined in the Accord, the Leaders and Ministers agreed that skills and employment training would be one of the three areas in need of urgent action and investment. Ministers recognize the considerable work the Métis Nation has undertaken which has enabled it to provide its recommendations to Canada for next steps in this area. The Métis Nation provided Canada with proposals and draft companion accords, and the Leaders and Ministers had a detailed discussion on their implications. The Ministers and Leaders discussed draft accords in Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training (ASETS) and instructed officials to continue work in advancing these documents with the goal of finalizing accords once both parties have completed their respective approval processes.
Métis Nation Accord Annex: Education
K to 12:
In conjunction with outcomes of the exploratory tables, the Parties will explore the need for and approaches to establishing linkages and cultural supports for Métis Nation students (K to 12) to improve their educational outcomes. The discussions at the national level will include an examination of current data on educational outcomes, identification of promising practices, and the level and supports for unique curriculum development to enhance educational outcomes. The discussions could include the need to develop better tracking mechanisms and the need for better intergovernmental protocols on Métis education (K to 12). The Parties will engage with representatives of provinces for these discussions.
Progress-to-Date
Feb, 2018 – The Government of Canada contributed $450K towards education priorities under the Canada-Métis Nation Accord, most of which went towards the Métis Nation Education Conference