A blueprint for the futureFor the eighth year in a row, RBC Financial
Group was lead sponsor for National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation's Blueprint
for the Future, a career fair for colleges, universities, employers and community
groups to showcase education and employment opportunities to Aboriginal youth.
The twice-yearly fair travels across Canada, and nearly 25,000 students
have attended the fair since its inception. For 2003-04, Halifax, Nova Scotia
and Edmonton, Alberta were the chosen destinations. The career fairs are
designed for Aboriginal youth from grades 10 - 12, increasing their awareness
of employment opportunities and associated training requirements in diverse sectors
of the Canadian workforce. At the most recent fair in Edmonton, 1,800 students
were in attendance; five RBC employees volunteered to speak at an information
session to share their career experiences and 20 more RBC employees volunteered
as chaperones. Blueprint for the Future was founded by the National Aboriginal
Achievement Foundation, a nationally registered charitable organization created
in 1985 by Mohawk conductor and composer John Kim Bell. Now entering its 19th
year, the Foundation has fulfilled educational dreams for Aboriginal youth, placed
the importance of education and the abilities of Aboriginal people into the forefront.
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