Corporations seek staffing solutions

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Declaring the time for studies over and identifying a looming crisis, John Kim Bell, president and founder of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (NAAF) brought 200 corporate, government and Aboriginal leaders together in Calgary on Feb. 6 to discuss ways of increasing Aboriginal employment.

Citing demographic trends including an aging mainstream population and 920,000 Aboriginal youth predicted to enter the labor market over the next five years, Bell stressed the need to develop solutions quickly.

"We do not need to send this issue out for more research. There is already too much research," he said.

"In most conferences, people talk about the barriers and not the solutions, because it is easier to talk about the problems and very hard to know what the effective solution is.

"Today we are talking about solutions."

Called Taking Pulse, the gathering was really about delivering a shock to a system in which Aboriginal workers struggle to acquire marketable skills and meaningful jobs.

"We are in a highly specialized era of globalization," Bell stated. "What we must do is reach out to corporations, determine what skills are going to be required, [and] have them help us deliver appropriate curriculums so we can match the supply of skills with the demands of employers."

The event itself was an example of the necessary partnerships. It marked the first time the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation has partnered with corporations to produce an event.

The initial idea behind Taking Pulse came out of a discussion nine months ago between Bell and TransCanada PipeLines Limited president and CEO Hal Kvisle. The presidents and CEOs of four other large corporations-CIBC, Canadian National, Hewlett-Packard Canada, and Suncor Energy Inc.-also served as co-chairs and addressed the gathering.

In a refreshingly blunt address, Canadian National president and CEO Paul Tellier said the first item of business was to correct the misperceptions of Aboriginals held by mainstream society. He predicted that opposition to any proposals would be expressed in one of three all too familiar ways: that trying to increase employment was "a hopeless case," that it would be like pouring money "into a bottomless pit," or that "political infighting amongst Aboriginal leaders" would doom the programs.

"As a business leader, if we don't succeed in addressing these perceptions, we won't be able to get more [Aboriginal] people involved," Tellier said.

Taking Pulse was structured to promote dialogue between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals. Although there were the expected speeches-Jane Stewart, minister of Human Resources Development Canada, stressed the need for early childhood development programs-they were kept to a minimum so that more time could be devoted to group discussions.

The 200 delegates were divided into 10 groups that met in closed sessions to debate various proposals designed to address the issue of Aboriginal employment.

Each group was asked to achieve consensus and to report on their decisions.

The various proposals under discussion were designed for the short-term (one to three years), medium-term (three to five years), and long-term.

The short-term featured such items as government and private sector cost-sharing, summer employment programs, and developing corporate hiring strategies geared towards Aboriginals. Possible medium-term solutions included apprenticeships, corporate tax incentives, a stay-in-school program, and an industry-designed curriculum.

Over the long-term delegates debated issues such as an Aboriginal high school system, high schools focussed on training students for work in specific industry sectors, and increased use of distance learning technologies.

The debates themselves with their exchange of opinions between corporate and Aboriginal leaders were one of the successes of Taking Pulse.

Calling these sessions an "eye opener," Hewlett-Packard Canada president and CEO Paul Tsaparis cofessed to being "embarrassed to see so little tech representation," at the event and pledged to share his newfound insights with his colleagues in the high-tech industry.

Although consensus eluded some groups, the fact that they were discussing the issues at all was seen as a sign of progress by some.

On that score, former Ontario premier David Peterson, who led one of the groups, termed the day a success. "We couldn't have had this discussion 10 years ago. There would've been too many bruised egos and people sent out and told they needed sensitivity training."

Despite the differences of opinion, the day did produce clear recommendations.

These included the establishment of a national job bank, a stay-in-school program, and various mentorship, apprenticeship and summer employment programs.

Over the longer term, delegates stressed the need for early childhood development, increased support and training for teachers, and a stronger partnership with Canadian corporations.

As delegates dashed off to the airport at day's end, Bell pledged to work towards implementing these recommendations.

He called the day "long overdue" and a success but, as difficult and inspired an organizational task as Taking Pulse was, it pales in comparison to the challenges ahead.