Metis ready to move on and move up: council

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The Metis Provincial Council of British Columbia (MPCBC) and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) say they have come up with a plan to give thousands of Metis a chance at education and training opportunities that have passed them by.

On Sept. 2, MPCBC Vice-president Bruce Dumont, along with Executive Director Keith Henry and NAIT President Dr. Sam Shaw, signed an agreement that will bring Metis access to more than 190 educational and apprenticeship programs. The ceremony took place at MPCBC offices in Vancouver.

Dumont called it "the first agreement of its kind in British Columbia history." He described it as "a true partnership where NAIT curriculum will be presented by Metis trainers to Metis students anywhere in British Columbia."

"This important agreement will create more opportunities, and create a lasting legacy for students, business and industry, and all British Columbians," Shaw said.

In accordance with the wishes of communities that will identify their own priorities for education and jobs, MPCBC and NAIT will put together a program that they will offer in MPCBC's own facilities where these exist.

"We have the option to deliver 190 programs," Henry explained. "What we're trying to do is provide a menu of options for the community that we serve, to get people creditable training that we can deliver at the community level.

"Why we find there's challenges to success with a lot of our employment and training initiatives is we often have to move people into other centres to take a lot of the training. And a lot of the training offered here right now by many of the post-secondary institutions doesn't have the Metis component ... So what we're trying to do is offer training at the community level, and it's a higher cost, but I think that the success rate will definitely offset the increased cost."

He said they want the ability to find "intructors that are sensitive to the Metis cultural needs," and the partnership with NAIT will allow for that.

Skills training and apprenticeships will be delivered in communities needing particular skills and with enough prospective students to warrant putting a course and instructors there.

"For example, there's going to be a major pipeline initiative with Enbridge Oil [Enbridge Inc.] . . . around the Kitimat area. So we want to do apprenticeship training right around there because they're looking at hiring 120 apprentices."

"Why we went out of province," Henry explained, "was NAIT was really proactive with having us have meaningful input into the actual delivery of the program. We want to set up our own school. I mean, that's the whole idea of what the Metis Provincial Council is trying to do here in B.C."

That's the ultimate goal, but too costly to implement right away, Henry added. To avoid delays in implementing programs, they will often use portable classrooms. Currently some Metis are already taking life skills programs at Abbotsford and this site, too, will be used for additional types of training.

Henry added a caution. "It will be depending on the cost of the programs. I mean, we can't go and promise the world to everybody, but certainly, where it's effective, we will. And where it's not, you know, maybe the local community college will work with us. We're not saying that we're going to shut the door on the system that exists in B.C. right now, but we just really feel that there's a strong need to haveour cultural needs met.

Keith Henry said, "We invest approximately $7 million into employment and training in B.C. here today, and not many of the schools have culturally relevant components ... We feel very strongly that the Metis are here and we're going to promote the culture and make people proud of where they come from."

Henry said he recognizes the province has "a really effective post-secondary system," but especially at the university level, entrance requirements are being set increasingly tougher as compeition for admission increases. That means much of the Metis community "simply isn't getting into those seats. It's becoming a major issue.

"We want to make sure our community has just as many opportunities, and if we have to put more supports in place, we will. But there's no reason why our communities can't be degree nurses, can't be teachers.

"We feel strongly that there has to be more education equity in the programs that are being run right now.

"Second to that, though, we also recognize that a lot of the clients we see coming through our employment and training offices are unfortunately on the lower end of the education level. A lot of them are Grade 10, 11 and 12, and (do not have) the maths and sciences in the Grade 12s.

"So what we try to do is deliver a balanced menu of options, where we focus a third of our efforts on the upgrading and literacy; another third of our efforts on the apprenticeships and skills training; and a third focusing on the post-secondary, including university training."

Henry said for the upgrading and literacy components they will work in partnership with school districts, and points to an "interim agreement" MPCBC has reached with School District 57 in Prince George, which will provide provincially accredited upgrading and literacy for Metis in grades 8 to 12.

"We've approached the Ministry of Education, who's been very willing to work with us."

NAIT will help select and hire trainers, and advise on the content and quality of proposed curricula.

Henry said they knew the challenge was big, the financial resources few, and it would take expert advice to pull things together. He credits Bud Massey, "who had worked with NAIT previously," with helping them. Massey's experience with apprenticeship programs that are in great demand in British Columbia was one of the reasons the council sought him out.

He also wanted to point out that "NAIT is known worldwide. They deliver programs and education in 23 countries thoughout the world, and they are sort of seen as a leader in Canada on the apprenticeship side of training."