Across Canada, Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) organizations do the daily work of connecting people to meaningful careers. But that work only goes so far if the workplaces on the other side aren’t ready to welcome, support, and keep Indigenous talent. That’s why we’re sharing Supporting Indigenous Reconciliation in the Workplace: Employer-driven Initiatives, created by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), the federal department responsible for programs that support Canadians’ skills, employment, and workplace equity, including administration of the Employment Equity Act.
The report gathers examples from employers in transportation, banking, engineering, energy, technology, and aerospace, including Air Canada, CIBC, Bruce Power, AtkinsRéalis, CAE, and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. It sets out common approaches, from Indigenous employee resource groups and paid leave for traditional practices to recruitment strategies, supplier partnerships, scholarships, and executive-level representation targets.
For ISET practitioners, a few things stand out.
First, many of the strongest initiatives are built with Indigenous organizations, not just for Indigenous people. Bruce Power’s training-to-employment pathways with Métis Nation of Ontario and the Huronia Area Aboriginal Management Board, and S.i. Systems’ partnership with an Indigenous-owned recruitment firm, show what’s possible when employers treat Indigenous organizations as partners with expertise. ISET organizations are natural partners for exactly this kind of work.
Second, the gap between awareness and outcomes matters. Land acknowledgements, cultural training, and commemorations are important starting points. The examples that will move the needle further are the ones tied to hiring targets, career pathways, mentorship, retention, and procurement, with accountability built in.
Third, these are employer-reported examples, not an evaluation. We encourage readers to use them as a menu of ideas and conversation starters, and to ask the follow-up questions: What changed for Indigenous employees? Who was at the table? What would we do differently in our region?
We hope this resource helps ISET organizations open new doors with employers, and helps employers see ISET organizations as the partners they are.
— ISET National Hub
