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The internal component of the Aboriginal Workforce Participation Initiative (AWPI) is
being implemented in the Public Service as part of the federal government's commitment to
employment equity. Under employment equity, this component of the AWPI, which is
administered by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, offers federal institutions
support and expertise to assist them in attaining their employment equity objectives.
Various departmental initiatives have contributed to improving the rec ruitment, retention
and career development of designated group employees, and to fostering a corporate culture
conducive to a more diverse workforce. A total of 166 recent projects produced many
employment equity and managing diversity models, practical tools and best practices, which
can be adapted and used by other departments.
The following compendium provides six examples of departmental initiatives aimed at
increasing and enhancing the participation of Aboriginal peoples in the federal Public
Service. Activities include: creating networks and partnerships with Aboriginal
associations and organizations; implementing culturally sensitive recruitment strategies;
providing on-the-job training and developmental assignments; mentoring for Aboriginal
employees; and cross-cultural training for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal staff.
Correctional Officer Recruitment and Training in the Pacific Region
In 1994, the Correctional Service Canada (CSC) Pacific Region undertook to recruit,
train and hire 18 Aboriginal people as correctional officers. Job notices were sent to
Band Offices and Aboriginal organizations across Western Canada as far east as Manitoba,
which resulted in approximately 220 applications. After the screening, testing and
interviewing, 17 individuals graduated from the training program and were hired. The
overall result of the initiative was that it increased the complement of Aboriginal
employees at CSC and created a recruitment network with other provinces and regions. The
successful standard recruitment protocol, enhanced by the presence of an Aboriginal
representative on the hiring teams, emphasized the importance of culturally sensitive
recruitment at all times.
Consultations with Aboriginal Peoples: A Participatory Approach, or Breaking Down
Barriers — Canadian Heritage in Quebec
As part of the consultation process with First Nations communities and the Inuit of
Quebec, Canadian Heritage established an initiative to hire Aboriginal people as term
employees. The goals of this initiative were to remove communication barriers, familiarize
Aboriginal staff with the cultural heritage management sector at Parks Canada, and develop
a recruitment and operating process for short-term work in the region. Through this
successful initiative, three Aboriginal people were hired and trained in a specialized
federal sector where Aboriginal representation is very low. One of the individuals is
working as a support officer for Aboriginal communities, and is developing a database on
existing Aboriginal cultural resources to assist communities and research ers in preparing
briefs for the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. In addition, the department
established a hiring process for Aboriginal staff, as well as tools to help them develop
skills and acquire knowledge relevant to the department's needs.
Statistics Canada's Aboriginal Recruitment, Retention and Advancement Program
In 1994, Statistics Canada put in place a series of managing diversity initiatives to
enhance the recruitment and retention of Aboriginal employees. These included a career
counselling package geared specifically to Aboriginal employees an d a training module on
Aboriginal awareness for supervisors. The department has also implemented targeted
recruitment efforts, outreach/community relations, networking, partnering, and awareness
sessions for recruiters, all aimed at increasing Aboriginal recruitment.
The Black and Aboriginal Development Initiative in Atlantic Canada
In 1994, Revenue Canada, Health Canada, and Human Resources Development Canada entered
into the Black and Aboriginal Development Initiative. This unique and innovative
interdepartmental partnership aimed to encourage cultural change and to help Black and
Aboriginal employees develop core competencies and transferable skills so that they could
better manage their own careers. Developmental assignments, exposure to cultural
grounding, mentoring, networking, classroom training, cultural awareness for managers, and
community involvement/guidance have all contributed to the success of the project. In
addition, the project has been expanded from the Halifax/Dartmouth area to the rest of the
province. There were five Aboriginal participants in each of the 1995-96 and 1996-97
fiscal years.
Note: A video, entitled Champion for Changes, is available that promotes this
initiative as well as the cultural changes in departments
Land Surveyors of the North
Initiated in 1996, the Land Surveyors of the North project is a pilot partnership
opportunity in career development for Aboriginal organizations and the Legal Surveys
Division of the Department of Natural Resources in the Northwest Territories. The
objectives of the project are to develop a pool of qualified Inuit people (of Nunavut), to
encourage their interest in working with the federal Public Service and the future
territorial government, and to create a working environment within the Legal Surveys
Division that is conducive to the retention and development of Inuit people. Thirty Inuit
participants are proposed. The internship experience includes a combination of on-the-job
work experience related to legal surveys and structured training in both theoretical and
technical skills. Thus far, co-operation between the two levels of government has
contributed to the success of the project.
National Revenue's Aboriginal Career-oriented Summer Employment Program
The objective of the Aboriginal Career-oriented Summer Employment Program was to
provide past participants of the Aboriginal High School Student Summer Employment Program
with experience in career-related summer employment. Emphasis was placed on offering
experience in jobs requiring education in mathematics and the sciences, studies that
Aboriginal youth have traditionally not pursued, but which are prerequisite for the
majority of employment opportunities in National Revenue. The project allowed students to
develop their knowledge and skills in departmental operations and to enhance further their
opportunities for employment with National Revenue or other organizations after
graduation. In 1997, 99 Aboriginal students were employed in career-related summer jobs at
various Revenue Canada offices across Canada.
NOTE: Additional information about these and other initiatives is available from the
PSC's Equity and Diversity Directorate by calling (613) 947-1561
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