Igniting the Power Within

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

To date, Igniting the Power Within has impacted thousands of Aboriginal community members across Manitoba, helping them to begin their individual journeys towards success.

What challenges have you faced and how were these overcome?

• Travel time/distance for participants to attend the local IPW workshops;
• Finding culturally-appropriate resources

What have participants, stakeholders and partners thought, felt and/or said about your initiative?

Participant & Community Success Stories are available in writing and via video on the Igniting the Power Within website

Which Essential Skills are covered by the initiative? Reading Text Document Use Numeracy Writing Oral Communications Working with Others Thinking Skills Computer Use Continuous Learning

How are the Essential Skills integrated into your initiative?

Essential Skills are integrated throughout the IPW workshop curriculum

Each of the four train the trainer workshops was 2 days long

Level 1 – Essential Skills and RPL – Level I training included the following :
• The nine Essential Skills – what they are, why they are needed, and how they affect adults’ lives
• Who the provincial Essential Skills coordinators are and how to contact them
• How to use the ESDC (then HRSDC) website as a resource tool
• Recognizing Prior Learning (RPL) – what it is, how it works, and how it can help communities and individuals
Level 2 – Building Portfolios- Level 2 training included:
• What a portfolio is and why creating one is important
• Intro to coaching others to identify their skills, knowledge and gifts
• How to build evidence for a portfolio
• How to organize it all
• How to set goals and overcome barriers

Level 3 – Essential Skills and Portfolios for Your Community- Level 3 training included:
• How to be a skilled coach
• How to self-reflect
• How to examine life events and pull evidence of the Essential Skills

Level 4 – Celebrating Our Voice- Level 4 training included:
• How to use a portfolio
• How to present Essential Skills and abilities with confidence
• How to teach these skills to others

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

How do you support participant success in the program? Transportation allowance

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

Workshops’ content drew heavily on Aboriginal traditions and principles to identify, verify and document skills, knowledge and gifts that otherwise would not be fully recognized through traditional mechanisms of credential assessment, credit transfer, articulation or accreditation.

Adaptation or original creation of training materials with relevant Aboriginal context and educational integrity was critical to acceptance by participants, Elders, community leaders and initiative partners.

Igniting respects and honours an Aboriginal approach to learning and doing. IPW workshop curriculum for community participants includes the participation of Elders and indigenous traditional teaching methods/activities such as storytelling, art, theatre, talking circles, gift giving and sharing of meals.

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

Staff have background as Essential Skills practitioners, RPL practitioners, cultural advisors, adult educators, employment advisors

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

Partner name	Role	Responsibilities
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC)	Provincial Advisory Council member and Steering Committee member	Provide Council Members and Steering Committee Members for project support and direction
Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF)	Provincial Advisory Council member and Steering Committee member	Provide Council Members and Steering Committee Members for project support and direction
Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO)	Provincial Advisory Council member	Provide Council Members to direct and support the project
Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre (MFNERC)	Steering Committee member	Provide Council Members and Steering Committee Members for project support and direction
Province of Manitoba: Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade, Apprenticeship Branch	Provincial Advisory Council member	Provide Council Members to direct and support the project
Province of Manitoba: Industry Workforce Development	Steering Committee member	Provide Steering Committee Members to direct and support the project
Province of Manitoba: Employment Manitoba	Steering Committee member	Provide Steering Committee Members to direct and support the project
Province of Manitoba: Adult Learning and Literacy	Steering Committee member	Provide Steering Committee Members to direct and support the project
Province of Manitoba: Aboriginal Education Directorate	Steering Committee member	Provide Steering Committee Members to direct and support the project
Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME)	Provincial Advisory Council member	Provide Council Members to direct and support the project
Urban Circle Training Centre Inc.	Provincial Advisory Council member	Provide Council Members to direct and support the project
Partners for Careers	Provincial Advisory Council member	Provide Council Members to direct and support the project
Eagle Urban Transition Centre	Provincial Advisory Council member	Provide Steering Committee Members to direct and support the project
Selkirk Friendship Centre	Provincial Advisory Council member	Provide Steering Committee Members to direct and support the project