U of A starts seeks career level university grads

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The Native Student Services department at the University of Alberta wants to enlist as many successful Aboriginal university graduates as they can.

The department plans to unveil the National Aboriginal Graduate Student Directory as a web site on the Internet by this summer.

"I think every university in Canada will benefit from it," said Art Beaver, the department head.

The directory's goal is to list all Aboriginal university graduates possessing a Ph. D or masters degree. The intention is for employers to have access to qualified Aboriginal people from across Canada who can fill specified job placements.

The idea for the directory first came about to bring more Aboriginal people into university faculties as instructors.

"We met with the University of Alberta and other universities and when they are looking for faculty members at the university level to teach. Usually the reason for not having any Aboriginal faculty members is they can't find any. We know otherwise,'" said Beaver.

There are enough Native graduates for teaching jobs and jobs in the private and public sector, he said. It's just a matter of getting them into an organized roster.

Canada's new employment equity legislation, which calls for more Aboriginal employment, may benefit the directory.

"A lot of corporations are agreeing and complying with the federal government's employment equity legislation and they are making a real effort - It's not just something they're saying they are going to do. . . It is a very real effort on the part of corporations," said Beaver.

The names within the directory will list the person's schooling and qualifications in a variety of industry applications. It is expected to be a one-stop site for perspective employers to browse for talented Native workers.

The department hasn't got a web site address name yet, but plans on announcing it in the upcoming months. As the list of names grows, universities and colleges across the country will be asked to recruit their Aboriginal graduates to go onto the list.

The directoryt will show Aboriginal people who are still in school, how far they can go.

"Hopefully it will also send the message to perspective [university] students that there are Aboriginal people who are getting Ph. D's and their masters," he said. "

Once the directory is started, Beaver said the work will never be done. But that's a good thing.

"I hope it will never be finished. I hope it will be on going," he said.

Qualified grads are can contact the university's Native Student Services at (403) 492-5677.