Workforce connex - Aboriginal Human Resource Council

Overcoming BarriersProvide advice to business about how to overcomebarriers to positive engagement with AHRDAS.•••••••••Expand personal networks.Expand partnerships.Utilize Aboriginal media: NCI (Aboriginal radio), grassroots etc.Periodic follow-ups from business to maintain communication.Use other methods of communicating jobs – bulletins, fax, etc.Promote and educate business on your distribution.Proactive promotion of AHRDA (i.e., cold calls, letters, presentations).Facilitate AHRDA – Business presentations together.Government policy needs to restrict foreign labor to last resort.• Expand and promote wage subsidy programs;expand outside of youth programs.•••••Set up educational process to improve skill levels.Prepare for interviews – do not be intimidated.New, creative, persevere, ideas and processes.Be sincere and share success stories and network.Partnership with educational institutions.• Social assistance administrators could be used tocommunicate employment opportunities.• Network with other non-governmental organizationsand government employment centers.••••Provide mentoring both at AHRDA and at work.“Career-pathing” in conjunction with the employer.AHRDA follow ups with employees and clients – two way communication.Need strong relationships and rapport with HR departments.• Liaisons – help to navigate personal relevantcontacts and networks established.•AHRDAs promoting themselves and services better.• AHRDAs to be more open to working with and throughone another with linkage to business.•Job referral programs – employee driven.• Business open house for youth job seekers (i.e., aerospaceaviation, Manitoba tours of Boeing, Standard Aero, etc.).•••••Client-focus: employers contact AHRDAs so they can tailor-fit clients to jobs.Offer literacy programs need more employment focus, partner with employer.Contact all reservations and AHRDAs to inform them of opportunities.More of a hands on approach.Community advertising, news letters.COMMITMENTSThe last group exercise was the “So What” discussion. Participants had talkedabout the barriers, challenges and solutions to the problems of demandand supply – now it was time to do something concrete about how to havegreater Aboriginal participation in the labour force. The participants returnedto their groups and were asked to respond to the following questions:• What strategies come to mind for us to increasepositive connections in Manitoba?•What can we commit to today to create those positive connections?The following list of 88 ‘go-forward’ commitments were made at the session:1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12.Do research and communication on AHRDA’s••••••••••Businesses, what are they working for?Job BanksHRDCPostingsNetworkingCommunicatingCareer Fairs (often employers are not there)Lack of coverage in offices because Ont networkingIncrease staff, increase access (funds)Focusing activities to effective results.Talk to leadership about welcoming people who have left.Infrastructure needs to be in place – housing, health services, training.Larger Vision – needs to be at community level•••Start with small childrenSupport from familySupport from community.Help people make tough choices, individual choices.Share success stories, and tell your own success stories.Find role models.Housing – Company – with a member in-house totake away cost and loneliness of hotels.Business owners celebrate individual successPromote your company (i.e., newsletter).Integrate business with community (there has tobe something in it for the community).Challenge the community.13. Take the information from the conference to thecommunity - we are the connections.Aboriginal Human Resource Council Manitoba Workforce Connex Report 21