IQALUIT, NU, November 30, 2022

Qikiqtaaluk Corporation (QC) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a partnership with the Future Skills Centre (FSC) for its project titled: lnshore Fishery Development in the Qikiqtani Region of Nunavut. This $1 million commitment will support skills development in Northern Canada.

“QC is excited to enter into this partnership with the Future Skills Centre on skills development related to inshore fisheries development in our member communities in the Qikiqtani region,” states Mr. Peter Keenainak, Vice-President – Fisheries with QC. “This support will focus on developing the management and entrepreneurial skills of local Inuit to help them lead the development of inshore fisheries in their communities”.

Pedro Barata, Executive Director of the Future Skills Centre, says this partnership is an excellent example of how FSC collaborates to build capacity and fill future skills gaps. “Taking into account the unique needs and barriers to employment faced by northern and Indigenous communities and aligning it with the fishing industry’s unmet demand for skilled workers will create meaningful employment and provide skills training and access to a largely untapped source of labour,” says Barata.

FSC supports Northern-led ideas and innovations that contribute to the building of systems infrastructure for lasting impact on skills development in Canada’s North, and partners to help strengthen small- and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurship.

Over the next several years, QC is seeking to address the human resource needs for successful inshore fisheries research and development in the Qikiqtani region. This will cover all aspects from: attracting young lnuit to the opportunities in the sector; to training for opportunities in research, vessel operations, winter and summer fishing, and onshore fish handling and processing; to identifying and supporting the development of entrepreneurs, small business owners, and managers to foster their success .

Mr. Jerry Ward, Director of QC’s Fisheries Division stated: “Initial plans are to start with pilot projects for two communities in Year 1 and to expand the program over time to reach all 13 Qikiqtani communities. lt is anticipated that this project will lead to an innovative approach to lndigenous community-based entrepreneurship and small business development that can be
extended in subsequent years to QC’s other communities and more broadly to other regions and other sectors of the northern economy”.

About QC Fisheries Division:
QC Fisheries Division oversees all fishery and marine-related activities in the QC group of companies. We manage and distribute QC’s fishing quota and its portion of Unaaq quota, as well as fishing allocations received through the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board’s Access and Allocations process.

The QC Fisheries Division is dedicated to helping Nunavut’s fishing industry. The division represents the company on various fishery-related boards, agencies and associations. We advocate for fair and equitable allocations and the repatriation of quotas in Nunavut’s adjacent waters.

About the Future Skills Centre:
The Future Skills Centre (FSC) is a pan-Canadian initiative dedicated to helping Canadians gain the skills needed to thrive in a changing labour market. FSC is funded by the government of Canada’s Future Skills Program.

For more information, please contact:
Peter Keenainak
Vice-President, Fisheries
Tel: 867 979 8400
PKeenainak@qcorp.ca

Jerry Ward
Director of Fisheries
Tel: 867 979 8400
Ward@qcorp.ca

Eglantine Ronfard
Communications Manager
647-262-3706
communications@fsc-ccf.ca