New job training program aims to develop competent, capable Nunavik youth
Pijunnaqunga will offer paid internships in regional organizations
NUNATSIAQ NEWS
The KRG and PS Jeunesse launched Pijunnaqunga earlier this month, a regional job mentoring program targeting Inuit youth who have completed their high school studies.
The Kativik Regional Government and a Quebec youth job support agency have teamed up to help Nunavummiut youth access on-the-job mentoring.
Earlier this month, the KRG and PS Jeunesse launched Pijunnaqunga, a regional program targeting Inuit youth who have completed high school.
The goal of the program is to encourage Inuit youth to take on senior positions within Nunavik organizations, the KRG said in a release.
To do that, Pijunnaqunga is offering eligible youth two paid internships at regional organizations.
“The Pijunnaqunga team worked very hard in the past months to build this tailored internship program for Nunavimmiut,” said Isabelle Picard, Pijunnaqunga’s project manager.
“We are beyond excited to finally launch this program and now ready to receive applications from candidates.”
The percentage of Inuit employees who fill jobs within Nunavik’s different organizations varies; in 2011, only 49 per cent of all the full-time jobs in Nunavik were held by non-Inuit.
In recent years, the KRG has maintained a workforce between 60 to 70 per cent Inuit staff.
But only two of the regional government’s 11 departments are lead by Inuit directors, plus the organization’s director general.
To encourage more Inuit leadership, the KRG launched a succession management plan in 2014 to help prepare its Inuit employees to eventually move into senior positions.
The strategy targets veteran staffers who are willing and able to take part, mentored by current department heads.
The new youth-focused Pijunnaqunga says its plans to offer internship opportunities in “significant positions” in order to develop the “next generation of competent and capable Nunavimmiut.”
Pijunnaqunga is now taking applications from Nunavimmiut high school graduates aged 18 to 35. To apply, visit the Pijunnaqunga website or contact the program directly at 1-855-349-3797.