AWFT program assists women through partnership

The Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO) and the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on March 14, to jointly deliver workshops for Aboriginal women across Canada in the Aboriginal Women for Tomorrow (AWFT) program.
"They (NWAC) have been part of it in the past, but by signing the MOU it formalizes our partnership with them," said CESO's Director of Operations Vicki Hill. "And we've provided training for the employment counselor of NWAC, so they'll be involved ongoing and I think there has been one or two of the employment counselors who have actually delivered some of those workshops in AWFT."
The workshops are delivered in five modules: Building Personal Skills, Communication, Starting Your Own Business, Governance-Skills Development for Boards, and Budgeting/Financial Management, all facilitated by experienced CESO volunteer advisors.
The workshops are designed to help women build skills in public speaking, written communication, job searching, operating a business, managing finances, and governance.
AWFT has been used by organizations and communities for two years through CESO and has served First Nation and Métis communities in the Atlantic region, Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories by targeting the specific labour -market and pre-employment needs of Aboriginal women.
"It was started in the CESO Saskatchewan office because the woman who was the regional manager there, Audrey Ahenekew, recognized the need for it," said Hill.
"She worked with some of the volunteer advisors to start putting some materials together and developing it. It was doing well there, we had success in one region, so it was decided that CESO would get funding to be able to deliver it across the country."
The focus of AWFT is to encourage business and leadership skill development for more economic and political participation in the community and the overall Canadian economy.
The workshops offer a culturally sensitive approach through training developed specifically for Aboriginal women with sessions offered in both English and French.
Furthermore, the process for bringing the program to an Aboriginal community or organization is basic.
"Whoever is requesting and organizing it, they don't have to do all five modules," said Hill. "We have situations where we might have a request just for one of the modules. So sometimes the modules might be delivered together and the group might decide to do other ones at another time, just because it takes quite a number of days," said Hill.
"CESO has regional offices across Canada so if a community or group is interested in the program, they contact their closest regional office and they arrange it through that office," she said. We have delivered it to groups in urban areas, as well as in First Nations, so it just depends on the request. We can just connect the request to the closest CESO office and than they would arrange for one of our volunteer advisors who was based in the area. They would try to find volunteer advisors closest to where the workshop is to be delivered and then they would send the volunteers out to deliver the workshop. But it can be requested from anywhere."
According to a March media release, a program evaluation for the fiscal year 2006-2007 showed 93 per cent of participants were either satisfied or very satisfied with the overall workshop and 92 per cent agree or strongly agreed with the information they received will influence decisions or actions they choose in the future.
"CESO's partnership with NWAC is truly valued and its investments into the working lives of Aboriginal women will bring about many promising opportunities," said NWAC president Beverley Jacobs, who signed the MOU on behalf of NWAC. "Skills training can change one's fortune and outlook in life."
"Women are the cornerstones of our families and by improving job prospects this will strengthen families and the communities they live in," said Jacobs.
NWAC empowers Aboriginal women by striving to develop and change legislation and involving them in the development and delivery of programs that promote their equality.
Funding for the AWFT program comes from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Status of Women Canada, who have just recently joined as a financial partner by agreeing to fund $450,000 for three years. This amount is expected to support 210 individual workshops until November 2010. For more information about the AWFT program call the Manager of National Programs Delia Scribleac at 1-800-268-9052 or 416-961-2376 or go to the CESO Web site at www.ceso-saco.com.