Aboriginal people are wanted in the trades industry

The latest Canadian census report says Aboriginal people are the youngest and fastest growing population in Canada and many organizations believe that Aboriginal people may be the answer to the skill shortage in the trades and particularly in construction.
"We knew the skill shortage was coming and now it's here. It's such an advantage, this skill shortage, for Aboriginal people wanting a well-paying career," said Kelly Lindsay, president and chief Executive Officer for the Aboriginal Human Resource Council (AHRC).
The number one focus for the AHRC is to help employers recruit and retain the large and still untapped Aboriginal workforce. It means making the connection between skilled Aboriginal workers and prospective employers. Aboriginal workers could meet the current need for workers in the construction trades according to Lindsay.
"We've done more than make the connections. Once Aboriginal people and employers connect, they need to start making commitments and decide what steps they are willing to take to making this work for everyone," said Lindsay.
That means finding the middle ground between Aboriginal workers and employers to take action and respond to the growing need for skilled trade and apprenticeship workers, said Lindsay.
The AHRC created the three year "national trades and apprenticeship" initiative to strengthen partnerships with public and private sectors. Lindsay believes there also needs to be a national framework in place to ensure Aboriginal people improve their skills and employers develop the workplace.
With a booming $130 billion construction industry in Canada, employment growth in construction has exceeded all other industries in the last 10 years.
The Canadian Construction Sector Council (CSC) is taking part in making relationships work between industry and the Aboriginal workforce.
The development of a Web site www.csc-ca.org, dedicated to Aboriginal careers in construction is part of their Aboriginal employment strategy.
"It is important to make sure people know about the successes of Aboriginal people in the industry," said Allan Page, Project Manager, CSC.
Profiles of successful Aboriginal people in trades are featured on the web site along with information and links to Aboriginal training boards and Aboriginal training projects across Canada.
Visitors have the option of choosing a career and apprenticeship, examining industry trends and exploring prospective labour markets throughout Canada. They will also learn how to get started in the construction industry, which is readily available for both men and women.
Industry partners in the four sectors of the construction industry; new home building and renovation, heavy industrial and commercial construction, and civil engineering construction can find information on where to link up with the Aboriginal workforce. The site is also designed to inform and assist career counselors, and organizations like the AHRC.
Currently, the residential construction sector has the strongest growth with 50 per cent of the construction workforce employed in this sector.
"The construction industry has long tradition with Aboriginal people and has been a good fit. The challenges that exist for Aboriginal people to become successful in the construction industry can be overcome," said Page.
Schooling also plays an important role. "Apprenticeships leading to journeyman certification are made much easier when grade12 math and reading skills are there at the beginning," said Page.
These types of challenges are something that Lindsay and AHRC is working on for Aboriginal people interested in a career in the trades.
"How can we breakdown some of the barriers that exist for Aboriginal and how can we awaken employers and connect them with Aboriginal people?" said Lindsay.
"Some of the answers are found in the pre-trade programs and some answers can be found in developing promising practices instead of developing best practice models," Lindsay said.
That means identifying real practices around recruitment, retention and corporate behaviors by changing people practices according to Lindsay.
"We ask what type of career would you like to have in your lifetime and how will you get there and that's the promising part," said Lindsay.