The employment of the local residents by the resource development is, perhaps, the most direct economic benefit for both parties. The company is supplied with an immediate labour force, and the community is provided with a variety of employment opportunities. The establishment of employment and training programs, and other special employment provisions further enhances the availability of local residents to the resource development. Provisions for employment and training were found in all the agreements researched.

• Recruitment

The company can develop a policy for the recruitment of employment candidates which gives priority to the local residents of the community. Recruiting from the area can be facilitated, where practicable, through local Human Resources Development (HRD) recruitment offices, community visits and public notices. Recruitment outside the local area may proceed after a local search, exploring the rest of the home territory/province, neighbouring territories/provinces, Canada and foreign countries.

The company can develop a policy to ensure that best efforts are made to acquire a minimum percentage of the overall work force from the local community. The company can ensure that the number of local residents employed will be limited only by the capacity of the labour force itself. For example, one company wanted to have a labour force consisting of 20% northern residents, while another company established a policy to hire 50% Aboriginal and 50% non-Aboriginal employees.

• Training and Development

The company can develop a policy to ensure it will use best and reasonable efforts to develop and implement training programs to advance the skills and education of its employees.

The company can establish pre-operational and operational training programs for local residents who meet established educational, training and employment standards specific to the positions available and/or applied for.

The company can develop and implement on-the-job educational upgrading, technical training and apprenticeship programs for local residents, based on projected labour requirements.

The company can work with recognized educational institutions operating in the local region to design programs to meet the employment requirements of both the company and other regional employers.

The company can ensure that education and training will not be limited to facilitating employment solely within the company itself or its contractors.

The company can ensure that employee training and development are in accordance with the requirements of the territorial/provincial apprenticeship and trade programs. Also, successful completion of the training will be credited toward certification or recognized within the territory/province. Details of employment should be recorded with the territorial/provincial department of education in accordance with apprenticeship and trade educational programs.

The company can negotiate with the territorial/provincial department of education to procure its assistance in the design and delivery of the company's training programs. The department of education can make available curriculum development and instructional material resources.

These programs are usually developed with the co-operation and assistance of the territory/province's department of education and other northern and Aboriginal employment programs.

• Other Employment Provisions



• Committee on Employment Opportunities

The company can ensure effective management of human resource policies by developing a committee on employment opportunities. The committee would be composed of representatives from each party interested or affected by the resource development: the company, local residents, government, union, etc. The committee would be responsible for:

- implementing and monitoring employment policies. The committee would conduct recruitment in local communities and would promote the employment opportunities for local residents;

- ensuring that employment opportunities were made available to local residents first, and co-ordinating and personnel searches in other areas;

- assisting in the development and implementation of training programs in response to labour requirements, and monitoring education, training and other employment benefits; and

-identifying and negotiating sources of government financial support for training programs and initiatives.

• Aboriginal Employment Co-ordinator/Liaison Officer
  
  

The company can employ a local Aboriginal person as a resource in support of its Aboriginal programs and as a liaison to senior management. This position would include responsibilities for recruiting from local communities, for assisting in the training and counselling of employed Aboriginal persons and for providing consultation in services the development of Aboriginal employment policies.

• Relocation Assistance
  



The company can provide relocation assistance and job support services for persons who move their immediate families and effects into the local community for the purpose of employment at the resource development.

• Work Rotations
  
  

The company, with the consent of affected employees, can implement work rotation schedules which allow for the practice of traditional pursuits.

The company which requires the fly-in/fly-out of labour can implement work rotation schedules which minimize the negative effects of separation on families. For example, one company with a 10 weeks on/2 weeks off rotation developed a 6 weeks on/4 weeks off rotation for Aboriginal employees.

• Discipline
  
  

The company can ensure prompt disciplinary action against supervisors or foremen/women who exhibit discriminatory attitudes or behaviour toward Aboriginal persons.

• Transportation
  
  

The company which requires the fly-in/fly-out of labour can provide its employees with air travel costs or air transportation between designated communities and the resource development. For employees from areas other than the designated communities, the company can provide free or subsidized air travel or arrange for other modes of transportation.

• Scholarship Program
  
  

The company can promote further education by developing a higher education program. Scholarships for post-secondary education can be provided to children of employees and/or to local residents who meet the required qualifications to attend a recognized educational institute. The scholarship can be specifically for education in a resource development field, for technical training or for other purposes.

• Youth Awareness Program
  
  

The company can provide opportunities for local youths to prepare for their careers by participating in various pre-employment activities. The company can help develop leadership capabilities, expand the knowledge of career opportunities and provide meaningful work experience for local youths.

• Counselling
  
  

The company can provide employee development services through career, personal, financial and other types of counselling.

• English, French and Aboriginal Languages
  
  

The territorial/provincial minister of education can make reasonable efforts to provide industrial English or French training to aid in the effective transfer of skills on the job.

The company, where practicable, can publish information on company activities in English and in the local Aboriginal language. The company can also provide for a translator at all company-community meetings.

The company, where practicable, can develop training curricula and verbal instruction in the local Aboriginal language.

• Cross-cultural Training
  
  

The company can provide cross-cultural orientation and training to supervisory, managerial and other personnel to increase awareness of the cultural, economic and social circumstances of local residents and local Aboriginal persons. Conversely, orientation to aspects of the resource development operation and non-Aboriginal employees' lifestyles may be beneficial for Aboriginal employees.

• Traditional Economic Activities
  
  

The company can recognize the importance of traditional economic activities of local residents and local Aboriginal persons. The company can make best efforts to accommodate personnel wishing to pursue hunting, fishing, trapping and rice harvesting activities with special work rotation schedules. The company can assist employees who wish to maintain training for employment with the resource development while pursuing traditional harvesting.

The company can provide resources for impact studies into past and present levels of traditional harvesting to identify constraints and opportunities for employees and the company itself. The company can use the impact studies to develop criteria for establishing whether a negative impact has occurred as a direct result of the resource development.

The company can agree to compensate local residents and local Aboriginal people for beneficial-use loss of traditional resource harvesting and associate activities that are directly caused by the resource development and its related activities.

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