Evidence of meeting #17 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was within.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Facilitator, Apprentice Support Services, Ignite Adult Learning Corporation
I believe we are.
Liberal
Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS
You talked about changing thinking. I would think that would be changing the thinking of the clients or the students, so that would be more of an intrinsic change or approach. Could you make some comments on that?
I know that was a big preamble, Mr. Chair.
But if you could, could you respond on the assumptions and the changing of the thinking?
Chief Executive Officer, Aboriginal Mentoring and Training Association
Sure. If you don't mind I'll comment on the connection with industry as well, because it all goes together.
In our experience, if there is a willingness by the company to strip away some of the systems that they've used in the past and work with us to build a system that works not only for aboriginal applicants but other local applicants, we've been very successful in figuring out how we engage the local community, assess for the skills, and match it up with the jobs that are going to be available in the location. It doesn't matter what the background of the person is. Then we build a process that works.
On the assumptions side of things, I heard one of the other presenters earlier talk about racism and discrimination. I would take those strong words out of the equation and say really if you get to the human issue, it's that I assume something about you and you assume something about me. In a workplace that happens no matter what the person's background is. If I assume that first nations are not interested in natural resource development or extraction or mining, then I might not look to them as a natural workforce. If the first nations believe that's just a big, bad mining company that wants to come and strip away all of our natural resources, I might not look to them as a potential employer.
So when we have open conversations and we bring multiple stakeholders to the table we ask, what are your assumptions? Let's just get it out on the table. What do you think about having an aboriginal workforce? Would you be open to having a prayer or a drumming session at the beginning of your summer barbecue? If that is the case, then let's talk about that and let's make it happen. It's really about human issues and being able to strip away what we believe to be true.
I think in any work environment that approach can be helpful.
Facilitator, Apprentice Support Services, Ignite Adult Learning Corporation
I would probably respond with the component of the individual in the program that we provide. When I talk about changing thought patterns, what I'm talking about is changing the—we could use the word—“assumptions” of the young people in terms of their own sense of who they are, their sense of security, their sense of their ability to be responsible for themselves and perhaps for their children, if they have families, their lack of self-assurance. One of the things we provide—and that's on an ongoing, daily basis, not just in a classroom setting—is working with them to help change that thinking process from “I am not capable because I don't have a grade 12”, or “Because I only came to the program with a grade 8 or grade 9 education I can't be successful”.
I think it was very important that someone mentioned the fact that they may come to us and say I have a grade 12, but when we do skill evaluations, we discover they don't really have a grade 12 education—
Facilitator, Apprentice Support Services, Ignite Adult Learning Corporation
—and we don't need to go there right now because that would take forever.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Phil McColeman
Thank you for that, Ms. Hill. I'm going to have to end this part of your testimony because we have limited time now for Mr. Butt's round of questioning.
Conservative
Brad Butt Conservative Mississauga—Streetsville, ON
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thanks to all three organizations for being here today.
I always consider myself a “glass half full” kind of guy, and I'm big on best practices. I like to hear from organizations on the unique best practices they're doing that other organizations can share.
Before I got elected here, I ran an apartment association in Toronto. We did a lot of training for apartment building superintendents, cleaners, and others. It was a very successful program, but the way it became a better program was that we actually learned from what other provinces and also other agencies were doing.
I know we only have a couple of minutes, Mr. Chair, so could each organization just take a minute and give me one example of something really unique they're doing within their organizations that could be shared with other organizations across the country as we deal with this whole issue on aboriginal workplace opportunities and training?
Chief Executive Officer, Aboriginal Mentoring and Training Association
Thank you.
One of the approaches we take at AMTA is that everything has to fit into a process, and we have the process mapped out. I'm a bit of a geek, so we have it all completely mapped out on big pieces of paper. So when a new person joins our team, they know what the system is. There are so many human complexities that come with every individual who joins our program. We strip that away and make sure the process is maintained no matter how complex the individual situation gets. We can pull resources from all sorts of different places while still following the process.
That process map covers almost a whole wall-length of a room. We're happy to share it. In fact, we share it quite regularly. We've been helping some programs in Ontario to get started there as well. We're happy to share it.
Conservative
Executive Director, Six Independent Alberta First Nations Society
In some of the best practices for us that work in our area here in Alberta, we've worked very closely with the PTI Group in determining both what their employment gaps are and any up-and-coming opportunities that might expand their business. We are in discussions with them on an ongoing basis to make sure that we are well aware of what's going on with their particular industry.
We also adapt our training programs to meet the needs of that industry partner. We have well over 250 employees within all our six nations employed with them currently, which is a large workforce for the PTI Group, and for us as well. They're in a variety of positions, from housekeeping to security to building their trailers, you name it. I think we have somebody in every position.
That only happens, though, with that discussion with the PTI Group and with them taking that initiative to say, “First nations people belong within our business, in our organization, and we're doing everything we can to work with our first nation communities in our surrounding areas.”
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Phil McColeman
Mr. Bizzarri, would you like to wrap it up very quickly, please?
Program Manager, Ignite Adult Learning Corporation
First of all, as I said earlier, we are an employer, and when they come to us, they are employees. Their wage is tied to their productivity. It's not a passive wage. We give back accountability to them. They have to be able to make these decisions and not have their hand held all the time. Passive income creates dependency. Active income creates responsibility, and it allows people to dream and to become free, to manage. There is a relationship between action and consequences. It's very simple.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Phil McColeman
Thank you very much.
Thank you, colleagues, for allowing us to go a little bit over our time.
I want to take the last comment to thank the witnesses for coming in today on the video conference as well as in Ottawa. This has been excellent testimony today and an excellent session. Thank you very much.
The meeting is adjourned.