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HOW TO... develop partnerships with the Aboriginal community
A number of local, provincial, and government initiatives are helping to pave the way to recruit more members of Aboriginal communities. There is much work to be done in this area. According to a paper published by the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, entitled Aboriginal Peoples in the Workforce: The National Perspective, negative attitudes and other barriers to Aboriginal employment exist in many workplaces. The paper reports that a 1995 survey found 77 per cent of employers faced challenges in hiring and retaining Aboriginal employees. These employers cited barriers in communication, culture, skills and training. But with many training opportunities underway and thanks to initiatives to forge better relationships between business and Aboriginal communities, more companies are looking at recruitment opportunities. And while a large percentage of the overall population in Canada might be aging, the demographics for many Aboriginal communities tell a different story. Roughly 40 per cent of the Aboriginal population is under the age of 15, representing a strong future employment resource. While unemployment is still high within many Aboriginal communities in B.C., there are a few strong initiatives seeking to bring more members of these communities into the work force. The federal government's Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada has an Aboriginal Work Force Participation Initiative that aims to increase the participation of Aboriginal people in the labour market. According to Indian and Northern Affairs, Aboriginal people make up one of the fastest-growing segments of the population in Canada, increasing at almost twice the national average. The federal department reports that although Aboriginal peoples represent an increasingly educated and readily available workforce, their participation in the labour force is lower and their unemployment rate is higher than that of non-Aboriginal Canadians. The provincial government is also active in developing programs that promote employment and business development opportunities between employers and members of the Aboriginal community through the Aboriginal Employment Partnership Initiative. A local co-operative venture called ACCESS, provides employment and training services to the Aboriginal community of the Greater Vancouver Regional District, and seeks to better connect such services with the needs of the business community. Such initiatives are important resources for local employers and even possess unique services, such as up-to-date databases of potential job candidates. "It is a big bonus to have such a database," notes Richard Smith, vice-president of Certispec Inc., a marine surveying company that monitors vessels and cargo for quality control purposes. Certispec was recently involved in a program that trained six individuals from the local Aboriginal community in Certispec's business as well as in other port-related activities such as longshoring and shipyard work. At the end of the training program, Certispec hired five of six participants on a casual basis (the sixth participant did not complete the program for personal reasons). "The initial database search yielded 20 candidates, all of whom were of a very good quality," recalls Smith. "It was a big benefit to have this screening process in place." Smith was also pleased with the candidates that were ultimately chosen. "The fact was that when we spoke to these people, we realized they had diverse backgrounds. Some were looking to pay for further education, while others were people with already a lot of education and training. [Their backgrounds] were already well known in the native community but not in the business community." While he admits that getting companies to embrace the notion of apprenticeship programs has its challenges, he believes success stories such as Certispec's will help. Smith hopes to be able to offer the five new Certispec employees opportunities to advance within the company. He is also considering participating in the program again. Of course, it isn't just the local business community that will benefit from more participation in such initiatives from local companies. Chris Cardinal, the first person to complete an apprenticeship program through an employment/training initiative geared specifically to the construction and trade industries, is now happily employed in cement masonry. "Since completing the program, I have worked steadily in that field," says Cardinal. "It got my foot in the door, and has since led to a very prosperous employment situation."
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