Good morning, Mr. Chair, committee members, and colleagues. Thank you for this opportunity to speak with you today.
My colleague Donavan Fontaine unfortunately is still not available. He is one of the seven board members of our organization.
First Peoples Development Incorporated, FPDI, administers 34 first nations subagreements through ASETS funding. The first nations develop and deliver their own programs and services, which meet their specific community labour market and employment needs on reserve. FPDI provides the oversight, support, and guidance to assist with the transparency and accountability of the ASETS program.
There continue to be challenges and barriers to be addressed by first nations individuals looking to actively participate in the country's workforce. With the time I have I would like to highlight just a few of those challenges that we are dealing with in Manitoba.
The first challenge is local capacity development. Administration budgets have been stagnant for over 20 years, while activities such as strategic plan writing, proposal development, continual staff development to learn new procedures, policies, reporting methods, and working with clients facing multiple barriers continue to be an expectation.
Continuous capacity building for local first nation administrators needs to be supported financially to allow professional development to be undertaken so the expertise is built at the first nation level to support clients. As an example, continuous case management training for local administrators needs to be part of the overall program, so clients receive expert advice during the training to employment plan. Clients start at a disadvantage when they don't receive the proper support at the onset of their training plan.
As an administrative organization, FPDI also lacks administrative funding to do research and development, proposal development, and to address the increasing reporting requirements.
Contact IV was a free client management system. It was phased out in 2013 by our funder, ESDC. New software was purchased and FPDI now faces significant monthly maintenance fees for the client management system, with no new funding attached. Nonetheless, we strive to work at improving the advice and assistance we provide to the 34 subagreement holders.
We have a number of initiatives that we feel fall within the scope of best practices. This includes digitizing communication for the subagreement holders through redesigned websites that we have undertaken. The website provides reporting templates, success stories, information sharing, operational guides, and links to numerous resources so they're available for them in order to carry out their training programs.
FPDI also conducts client management training sessions on an ongoing basis. We have adopted the practice of reviewing client targets regularly with our subagreement holders. We provide training to first nations on how to develop their own targets based on their demographics, historical training, and labour market statistics within their geographic region.
Over the past four years we have trained over 10,000 clients. As well, there is an effort to refocus the subagreement holders to communicate essential information such as ASETS accountabilities, partnership opportunities, financial position of assets, and sharing of success stories during our subagreement holder meetings.
Another issue is partnerships. Although emphasis is being placed on partnerships, the definition from ESDC is limited and only recognizes formal partnerships. Recognition needs to be given to the many informal partnerships that exist between first nations departments, maximizing the integration of programs for clients. Many of the first nation communities rely on interdepartmental training and employment partnerships for their community members, especially when industry demand-driven employment is not geographically viable in many communities.
Regional differences and opportunities associated with accessing industry opportunities need to be acknowledged. Many first nations are remote, with little to no access to major industries and employers in their region. At the same time, all first nations are competing with one another for the same employer in Manitoba in the same industry. In total, there are over 60 subagreement holders, 34 from First Peoples Development and another 30 with our sister organization, MKO.
Budget considerations ignore the cost of relocation and travel to effectively access the demand-driven job market. There is limited provincial funding available in Manitoba. The provincial government input and support is varied nationally. Master agreement holders such as FPDI need to be involved in provincial labour market development negotiations, so that first nations clients are considered during the planning process. Federal support is needed to leverage provincial partnerships.
Formal partnerships with industry need to be built off reserve. This is a big challenge for most first nations as they also have limited local staffing. There is usually one staff person at the first nations level to network and form a partnership. This is difficult to achieve while staff are also dealing with the demands of addressing the client's needs.
Engaging employers at the front end to improve labour market linkages and build programs and curriculum could prove to be positive for clients.
Industry can be proactive and incorporate on-the-job training components for first nations employees.
Aboriginal awareness and building cross-cultural understanding in the workplace are ongoing requirements that industry partners should be encouraged to make available to all employees on a continual basis.
Most potential industry partners benefit from targeted wage subsidies made available through the labour market programs, but employers also need to contribute to the employment process as an equal partner.
The final topic I would like to discuss is child care, as we are currently involved with licensing our child care programs.
Child care is a fundamental need for clients with children. FPDI funds 38 first nations early learning and child care, ELCC, centres through FNICCI funding, a total of 541 spaces. Approximately 150 early childhood educators are employed at the centre. There are no additional funds provided for qualified staff or children with special needs.
The first nations ELCC centres are not licensed by Manitoba and do not receive any additional subsidies. The 2010 ASETS contribution agreement specified that all Manitoba first nations ELCC centres be licensed or regulated by provincial licensing authorities, except in the case where, by mutual agreement between the province and First Peoples Development, child care centres are monitored by regulatory mechanisms controlled by first nations, which are currently not in existence.
In 2012, FPDI participated in an intergovernmental working group with federal and provincial representatives to discuss child care and meeting provincial standards in first nations communities. The group produced a joint assessment report, which was the study of four first nations, to assess how the existing provincial licensing process applies to first nations, and to identify gaps and inequities.
The next steps include recommendations and options on how first nations should be licensed and monitored by the province or an aboriginal-mandated body. The report also identifies resource gaps, funding formulas, and determining national best practices. FPDI hopes the next steps also include recommendations for further analysis and a more comprehensive study to identify the cost of ELCC operations, funding for infrastructure, capital requirements to meet regulations standards, and liability coverage.
In the meantime, FPDI has established the First Peoples Child Care Association, which is the first step to establishing a Manitoba first nations child care entity and its role in this process for meeting an agreed-upon form of regulation. The challenge we face is the fact that there's no funding attached to this group to sustain it. Assistance from other federal departments, specifically and first nations and Inuit health branch, is critical to support first nations child care. Better integration of programs supported by the various government departments would greatly assist with building quality child care facilities that are regulated and would alleviate a point of stress for clients with children.
In conclusion, there has been a lot of good work done by in providing support to first nations in Manitoba. There is a lot more that is needed to address the challenges and barriers facing individuals entering the workforce.
Continuous learning for administrators at the community level, which FPDI is supporting, needs to continue to be part of the overall strategy for increasing aboriginal participation in the workforce. Partnerships of all types, formal and informal, need to be developed. This is not lost on the first nations we work with. However, as indicated, resources both financial and human present real challenges to building solid partnerships that allow first nations to break into the workforce. Industry should be engaged to help find solutions to allow for success.
Improving and making child care an integral part of the training support programming would assist young parents in taking advantage of training and employment opportunities.
Thank you once again for the opportunity to speak to your committee.