Cree Employability Skills Development Partnership, CESDP

What is the overall impact of the initiative and how is this measured?

We have three program deliverables we are working towards:

• 300 skills assessments delivered,
• 300 Crees worked with either transitioning in further training or in the workplace and
• 200 new jobs obtained by Crees who participate in our project

What challenges have you faced and how were these overcome?

Challenges:

Low academic level of students enrolling in vocational training means many have difficulty understanding training content and materials and struggle to success – CESDP is trying to overcome this by spending some time before their training begins in upgrading and, as much as possible, during their training when individuals are identified as having specific difficulties we can help them with.

Gaining access to remote mine sites and establishing regular schedule of visits – It has been very time consuming getting mining staff ‘onboard’ with the objectives of our project, essentially taking a year to show them how they can benefit by working along with us onsite. Our three project’s mining partners are now reaching out to us for assistance and we are established at their sites. But that only happens after they see clearly how they will benefit.

Reconciling the idea of a career vs a job – Because the Cree have been engaged for the most part in a cycle of seasonal employment, the advantage and benefit to them and their families of forging a long-term career with a large mining company, for example, is still a fairly new idea and something that is not well understood by many. The fact that Crees will pay tax as well once they are employed by a non-native company is another factor that contributes to misunderstandings about this. We address this in our work both with students and workers, outlining the benefits of a company pension plan and RRSP, explaining what taxes are and where they go, simple family budgeting and so on.

What are 3 key lessons you learned from developing or delivering your initiative? What advice from those lessons would you share with others?

Job retention with non-native employers implies more than having a trained and skilled pool of workers – it means they need to be work-ready, with a real understanding the workplace culture of non-native workplaces and context where they will put their skills into practice.

A culturally sensitive and proactive liaison person (aboriginal ideally) is important to have at each workplace – distrust and misunderstandings are common for many Crees at work. Especially true since English is their second language and where French is the dominant language in most mine sites.

Establishing partnerships with industry employers are important to really get the most out of training to employment initiatives. Without getting non-native employers on board in terms of how they can benefit from ongoing ES and work readiness work and support for their Cree employees and cultural sensitivity work with their supervisors, these kinds of projects are not sustainable and likely to be ‘one-offs’ at least in this part of the country.

Which Essential Skills are covered by the initiative? Reading Text Document Use Numeracy Oral Communications Working with Others

How are the Essential Skills integrated into your initiative?

After an initial ES assessment of students to identify individual student weaknesses and strengths they receive several days of skills upgrading, incorporating material from the students’ training program as much as possible.

ES upgrading work is integrated throughout the project’s work readiness modules.

CESDP team is made up of a coordinator and 3 Job Coaches, two of them Cree. We work primarily in two settings: in training centres where vocational training programs are delivered and at mines, construction projects and hotels where Crees are employed,

In training, our Coaches work alongside staff from the Sabtuan Adult Education department of the Cree School Board and program instructors. We typically do an initial ES assessment of students first in order to get an idea of individual student weaknesses and strengths and follow that with several days of skills upgrading, incorporating material from the students’ training program as much as possible.

We also integrate work readiness modules with all our ES upgrading work  – addressing issues such as time management, zero tolerance, job vs career, financial literacy (taxes, pension plans), effective communication etc

In the workplace, we work with supervisors and workers, identifying issues that are affecting job performance and, potentially, job retention. Work includes specific skill upgrading (when necessary), interviews with workers after they receive disciplinary notices from employers that could lead to dismissal, discussion with supervisors about (Cree) cultural issues they are frequently unaware of, among other issues.

How do you assess participant Essential Skills?

We administer the TOWES as well as another basic skills assessment we developed that is rooted much more in northern, aboriginal culture which some individuals are more comfortable with. Scoring is comparable to the TOWES.

What are the components of the initiative? Occupation-specific skills training Academic upgrading Occupational certifications and/or licensing Life skills Cultural, language, and tradition awareness and/or training Other

How do you support participant success in the program? Attendance allowance Individualized counselling Individualized tutoring Work related clothing/equipment Job placements Wage subsidies Job retention support

How was Indigenous culture integrated into the program content or delivery?

-Essential skills assessment is rooted in northern Indigenous culture

-Work readiness modules are designed to bridge gap in understanding between Cree and non-native work culture

-Cree job coaches deliver much of their work in Cree

-Team works with non-native workplace managers and supervisors to sensitize them to Cree values and issues that affect job performance, on the job communication and retention

What do you think are the most important competencies and attributes for staff involved in this initiative to have?

Patience, empathy, honesty, respect, sense of humor, ideally a varied work experience in the North.

Who are your partners, and what is their involvement in the initiative?

• Cree School Board, – delivery of vocational training programs
• ESDC – funding for project team and project management

Industry partners:

• Stornoway Diamonds,
• Goldcorp,
• Nemaska Lithium (mining);
• Kiskinchiish and Miyuu Kaa (Cree companies working with GestionADC with Cree janitorial and housekeeping workers at different mines),
• Chisasibi Business Development & Development (Waastooskuun Hotel in Chisasibi),
• Emploi Quebec (funding for customized training programs),
• Minheku Construction (on the job carpentry training in Cree village of Whapmagoostui)
• and CHRD (customized training and project management)

We also work with participants in ‘Community Skills & Employment programs’ which are 26 weeks long and run annually in nine Cree communities.