Good afternoon.
Greetings to you, Mr. Chair, to all members of the committee, and, through you, to the people of Canada you represent.
I'm here to talk about Canada's future--specifically, that the investment of federal resources to realize the potential of first nations, Inuit, and Métis youth is essential if Canada is to have a prosperous future.
Currently, aboriginal youth are noted for two things: the fastest-growing demographic in the country and the most poorly educated in Canada. The unacceptable gap between high potential and low achievement will not close by itself. Indeed, it will widen and be passed on to the next generation and will be a costly burden for Canada to bear financially, socially, and politically.
According to research done by the Centre for the Study of Living Standards and announced just last week, if we could close the gap between the education of aboriginal children and youth as compared to the Canadian population as a whole, $71 billion would be added to Canada's gross domestic product over the next 10 years. Then, every year after, the increase would be $8.3 billion. Far-reaching economic and social benefits would result, infused into the Canadian economy, and enjoyed by all Canadians.
In this context, the cost of providing aboriginal youth with access to better educational opportunities is a handsome investment in the very near future and one that will reap benefits for generations to come.
There's another important dividend, and that's alleviating the challenge of labour shortage that reduces economic activity. Many thousands of aboriginal children entered kindergarten this year. If these children, and those who follow, are able to have the same educational outcome as other Canadian children, Canada's GDP will increase $21 billion when these children enter the labour market. First nations, Inuit, and Métis could be 7% of Canada's labour force if the gap is closed. Remember that aboriginal people will account for nearly 30% of Canada's annual natural population increase between 2001 and 2017. If we do nothing for these children, the gap will surely widen.
For example, aboriginal individuals 15 and over with degrees increased over the period between 1996 and 2001 from 7.9% to 8.9%. Over the same period, non-aboriginal Canadians with degrees went from 20% to 21.8%. While more aboriginal youth were completing university, the gap between the two groups was widening.
Closing the gap is too complex for the federal government to do alone. I understand that. The federal government is a key leader, but we also need the strong commitment of provincial and territorial governments, aboriginal communities, organizations, professional associations, the private sector, unions, and employers. The National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation provides an essential factor in that equation, indeed the ideal mechanism to apply to the interrelated objectives of ensuring that every first nations, Métis, and Inuit young person is motivated and confident to realize their potential, and that each one who wants to advance is not denied the opportunity for lack of funds.
The foundation already provides more scholarship funding to aboriginal youth than any other agency in Canada outside the federal government, at about $3 million annually, but we can and must do more.
And we get results. We measure the impact of everything we do. We have a monitoring and tracking system, with the best database in the country on aboriginal post-secondary students. Our results demonstrate we are making a meaningful difference, so far providing to 7,000 recipients more than $27 million in financial assistance.
We are a registered charity with an eminent and professional board, and we are publicly accountable.
We receive money from corporate donors, aboriginal and other organizations; from the federal, provincial, and territorial governments; and from individuals. And we can and do leverage the contributions of one to achieve matching contributions from others.
We consider ourselves much more than another competitor for the federal dollar. Having demonstrated that we improve the return on investment in education of first nations, Inuit, and Métis youth, in closing we ask that this House committee on finance recommend that the government use the foundation's capabilities to convert problems into solutions for post-secondary education and training for aboriginal youth to help meet Canada's labour needs.
Finally, we ask the committee to recommend to the Minister of Finance and to Parliament that the foundation be utilized by the Government of Canada as a means of assuring that every aboriginal student who is accepted for post-secondary studies has the means to realize their dream.
I'd like to say thank you very much for the opportunity to present a written submission, which you all have, and to speak here today.
Nia:wen kowa.