Stó:Lō Aboriginal Skills & Employment Training

(SASET)

 effective October 1, 2010.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

• The Aboriginal Human Resource Development Strategy (AHRDS) was a strategy of the federal government of Canada designed to help improve the employment opportunities of Aboriginal peoples and enable them to fully participate in the Canadian economy.
• Stó:Lō Nation signed a Contribution Agreement with the Human Resources and Skills Development (HRSD) Canada and the Employment Insurance Commission (EIC) as “Host Agency” tasked to deliver programs to assist Aboriginal people obtain and maintain employment. SNHRD’s Service delivery is provided to the Aboriginal/Inuit peoples residing from Surrey to Boston Bar and four First Nation communities at the Head of the Lakes under the operational name of Stó:Lō Nation Human Resource and Development .
• In 2009 the program moved into a “Successor Strategy” phase of development from the original agreement changing program priorities. The AHRDA program will undergo a name change to Aboriginal Skills & Employment Training (ASET). SNHRD will be transitioning its operational identity from SNHRD to Stó:Lō Aboriginal Skills & Employment Training (SASET) to reflect the new service delivery agreement, the change is to take effect on October 1, 2010, the service agreement catchment area will remain the same as described above.
• SASET clientele include employment and skills training services to all First Nations and Inuit people residing in the SASET catchment area, regardless of whether they reside on reserve or off-reserve or in an urban community and regardless of their place of origin and status under the Indian Act.
• To ensure that funding proposals for all eligible clients, projects, goods and services contracts over $50,000 are assessed and selected in an open, impartial and fair manner, Stó:Lō Nation created the Stó:Lō Aboriginal Skills & Employment Training Advisory Committee (SASETAC).

SASET will build upon the success of SNHRD programs and services and adopt the new ASETS model with its three guiding principles:

1. Demand-driven
2. Partnerships
3. Accountability

SNHRD has been moving towards this model over the past several years, and has undertaken extensive planning to understand and adopt the new ASETS model in the manner that best reflects the needs of the clients and communities in the service area.

Program Mandate/Vision/Mission/Values/Goals and Objectives:

The SASET department is mandated by Aboriginal Skills & Employment Training Canada (ASETC) to implement the ASET Agreement for First Nations and Inuit people located in the Fraser Valley catchment area.

The SASET Vision aspires to assist all First Nations and Inuit persons in our service area to reach their full educational and employment potential.

The SASET Mission is to increase First Nation and Inuit participation in employment and training opportunities to create a sustainable future of self governing citizens.

SASET is dedicated to advancing its Vision and Mission based on the principle values of:

•      Cultural appropriateness
•      Fairness and equity
•      Respect
•      Integrity
•      Accountability
•      Inclusion
•      Professionalism

Which are embodied in the work SASET does to reach our Goals & Objectives.

The SASET Goal is to create quality training and access to employment opportunities for First Nations and Inuit persons residing in our service area through a process of identifying client need and addressing those needs through effective program delivery.

SASET strives to fulfill the following Objectives:

• Provide quality intake, assessment and referral services,
• Assist each client in the development of a realistic action plan,
• Provide access to quality programming that will ensure client movement along the employability   continuum to eventually reach their goals,
• Facilitate the development of effective partnerships and relationships with multiple stakeholders in Aboriginal employment and training.

SASET will operate with an increased reliance on industry demand for workers through the use of its Labour Market Demand Driven Model, which combines labour market information generated through statistical analysis, and consultations with local employers, communities and clients to understand the demands for local labour. SASET has also developed an Employer Engagement Model to identify employment opportunities with local First Nations, Joint Ventures, and employers located within and adjacent to the communities.

As an organization, SASET will provide the management and administrative functions for the delivery of employment assistance services in the area. SASET will utilize community-based agencies to deliver the services to the clients throughout the region.

SASET will have eight points of service, similar to the SNHRD model, implementing the existing offices founded during the SNHRD program delivery. All points of service will provide at least the minimum levels of services to First Nations and Inuit people. Clientele are welcome to attend any of the EAS offices in the SASET catchment area. EAS locations conduct outreach to the First Nations and related organizations within their core service areas.