Workforce connex - Aboriginal Human Resource Council

•••••••Indian and Northern Affairs Canada’s payment for college vs. university.How to retain people - you need good people, labourer and professionals.Cost issues to go to colleges – barrier – the pre-requisitesneeded by Aboriginal/mature students as well:— there is limited funds for AHRDA who service the smaller communities— travel costs for those who are away from home.Companies do come into communities to do sessionsbut they do not give enough lead time.Onus on individuals to seek work.Relocation is an issue.Not aware of programs and successes of AHRDAs – how doemployers connect to the Aboriginal community?———focus on the marketing and communicationssuccess and the programs offereda one-stop shop – communications needs to be lookedfor each stakeholders groups – not just the websitedatabase of programs and services that are available andcontacts to get consistent information and referrals.Demand Side Issues Round TableThe purpose of the discussions was centered on getting to knowbusiness. To open the discussion, a three-person panel provided insighton the job and employment opportunities that exist for Aboriginalpeople in their respective industries. These individuals were:••••Stan Bear, Community Liaison, Maritime and Northeast PipelineTim Flood, Vice-Chair, Construction Sector CouncilRita Hurley, New Brunswick Power Ombudsman, NB Power.Key messages from these individuals were:—make contacts with employers and prepareyourself for the interview process— encourage youth to stay in school and complete high school—science and math backgrounds are very useful in the oil and gas,construction and hydro sectors.When the group discussion began, business was asked to setup as advisorsto AHRDAs to understand the demand side. The dialogue questions were:Ask AHRDAs:What are their challenges and frustrations with engagingemployers?Do you have any suggestions on how employers couldinform you of job openings that exist or will exist?Ask Employers:What kind of employment opportunities do you have todayfor Aboriginal people?How do you communicate your company’s employmentopportunities?What are the specific ways that you recruit Aboriginalpeople?The results of the demand side conversation is provided below.Jobs Available•••••••••••••Labour positions.Lower level jobs are entry into other jobs in the company.Trades:— mechanics— crane operator— carpenter— heavy equipment operator— machine shopProfessional:— engineers— IT people— accountantsRetail:— clerks— sales— customer service call centres.Technologist— civil engineering technicians.Paper advertisements – Internet sites.Posters (current no direct contact with Aboriginal communities).Career fairs.School visits.Co-op programs.Internal website – look for people who had appliedfor other positions in the province.Healthcare jobs— nursing12Aboriginal Human Resource CouncilNew Brunswick Workforce Connex Report