Evaluation of Indigenous employability programs in the Canadian mining industry

Abstract

The participation rate of the Indigenous workforce in the mining industry is significantly lower than that of non-Indigenous people. The purpose of this research was to determine how public and private programs aimed at promoting the recruitment, integration and retention of Indigenous employees in the Canadian mining industry meet the needs of Indigenous employees and mining employers. Five categories of programs were assessed (liaison, work readiness, site readiness, cultural awareness and career progression), according to 50 criteria. A literature review and interviews with 86 participants (43 Indigenous, 27 employers and 16 representatives of public programs in Québec and Nunavut) showed that only public programs existed in areas not subjected to government/company-Indigenous agreements, meeting 34% of the needs, compared to 76% for private programs in signatory territories. Implementing private programs in non-signatory territories could be beneficial, but would require a mentality change in the industry. © 2020

Keywords

Author Keywords

employment workers Program evaluation Aboriginal people Mines

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations

School of Indigenous Studies, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, QC, Canada

Funding & Acknowledgements

Fonds de Recherche du Québec-Société et Culture, FRQSC

Funding text 1: The authors would like to thank the 43 Indigenous employees, 27 employers and 16 program representatives for their patience and for showing interest in the project despite their busy schedules. Travel to Nunavut was facilitated by Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. The company was not otherwise involved in any aspect of the research. This project was funded in part by a grant from the Fonds de recherche du Qu?bec ? Soci?t? et culture (FRQSC) in partnership with the Minist?re du Travail, de l'Emploi et de la Solidarit? sociale du Qu?bec (MTESS) [grant number 2017-MR-202936]. JC also received a doctoral grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) [grant number 767-2019-1065].; Funding text 2: Anishnaabe, Cree and Inuit communities benefit from public programs identifying career goals, establishing personalized career paths and funding external training. socioeconomic Development Departments (Qu\u00E9bec) and Career Development Offices (Nunavut) assist community members in accessing the various services offered. The CR\u00C9A Kitci-Amik offers a follow-up service for a maximum of six months for Anishnaabeg employees hired following training. ASD provides organizational and financial support to Cree employees seeking external training. Under the apprenticeship programs, Inuit employees who work as cooks, carpenters, millwrights, electricians, heavy equipment technicians, welders or plumbers can receive a trade certificate if they complete 1800 h of onsite work experience in addition to 8\u201312 weeks of external training at colleges in Nunavut or Alberta ( Government of Nunavut, 2019 a).

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, SSHRC

Grant: 767-2019-1065

Funding text 1: The authors would like to thank the 43 Indigenous employees, 27 employers and 16 program representatives for their patience and for showing interest in the project despite their busy schedules. Travel to Nunavut was facilitated by Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. The company was not otherwise involved in any aspect of the research. This project was funded in part by a grant from the Fonds de recherche du Qu?bec ? Soci?t? et culture (FRQSC) in partnership with the Minist?re du Travail, de l'Emploi et de la Solidarit? sociale du Qu?bec (MTESS) [grant number 2017-MR-202936]. JC also received a doctoral grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) [grant number 767-2019-1065].; Funding text 2: Anishnaabe, Cree and Inuit communities benefit from public programs identifying career goals, establishing personalized career paths and funding external training. socioeconomic Development Departments (Qu\u00E9bec) and Career Development Offices (Nunavut) assist community members in accessing the various services offered. The CR\u00C9A Kitci-Amik offers a follow-up service for a maximum of six months for Anishnaabeg employees hired following training. ASD provides organizational and financial support to Cree employees seeking external training. Under the apprenticeship programs, Inuit employees who work as cooks, carpenters, millwrights, electricians, heavy equipment technicians, welders or plumbers can receive a trade certificate if they complete 1800 h of onsite work experience in addition to 8\u201312 weeks of external training at colleges in Nunavut or Alberta ( Government of Nunavut, 2019 a).

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, SSHRC

Funding text 1: The authors would like to thank the 43 Indigenous employees, 27 employers and 16 program representatives for their patience and for showing interest in the project despite their busy schedules. Travel to Nunavut was facilitated by Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. The company was not otherwise involved in any aspect of the research. This project was funded in part by a grant from the Fonds de recherche du Qu?bec ? Soci?t? et culture (FRQSC) in partnership with the Minist?re du Travail, de l'Emploi et de la Solidarit? sociale du Qu?bec (MTESS) [grant number 2017-MR-202936]. JC also received a doctoral grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) [grant number 767-2019-1065].; Funding text 2: Anishnaabe, Cree and Inuit communities benefit from public programs identifying career goals, establishing personalized career paths and funding external training. socioeconomic Development Departments (Qu\u00E9bec) and Career Development Offices (Nunavut) assist community members in accessing the various services offered. The CR\u00C9A Kitci-Amik offers a follow-up service for a maximum of six months for Anishnaabeg employees hired following training. ASD provides organizational and financial support to Cree employees seeking external training. Under the apprenticeship programs, Inuit employees who work as cooks, carpenters, millwrights, electricians, heavy equipment technicians, welders or plumbers can receive a trade certificate if they complete 1800 h of onsite work experience in addition to 8\u201312 weeks of external training at colleges in Nunavut or Alberta ( Government of Nunavut, 2019 a).

Grant: 2017-MR-202936

Funding text 1: The authors would like to thank the 43 Indigenous employees, 27 employers and 16 program representatives for their patience and for showing interest in the project despite their busy schedules. Travel to Nunavut was facilitated by Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. The company was not otherwise involved in any aspect of the research. This project was funded in part by a grant from the Fonds de recherche du Qu?bec ? Soci?t? et culture (FRQSC) in partnership with the Minist?re du Travail, de l'Emploi et de la Solidarit? sociale du Qu?bec (MTESS) [grant number 2017-MR-202936]. JC also received a doctoral grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) [grant number 767-2019-1065].; Funding text 2: Anishnaabe, Cree and Inuit communities benefit from public programs identifying career goals, establishing personalized career paths and funding external training. socioeconomic Development Departments (Qu\u00E9bec) and Career Development Offices (Nunavut) assist community members in accessing the various services offered. The CR\u00C9A Kitci-Amik offers a follow-up service for a maximum of six months for Anishnaabeg employees hired following training. ASD provides organizational and financial support to Cree employees seeking external training. Under the apprenticeship programs, Inuit employees who work as cooks, carpenters, millwrights, electricians, heavy equipment technicians, welders or plumbers can receive a trade certificate if they complete 1800 h of onsite work experience in addition to 8\u201312 weeks of external training at colleges in Nunavut or Alberta ( Government of Nunavut, 2019 a).

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Evaluation of Indigenous employability programs in the Canadian mining industry

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