Pathways
A Community Framework
This Framework is a free online resource for those working to remove barriers to employment for Indigenous peoples. It offers a complete framework to assist Indigenous communities, organizations, and employers to take action to build healthier workplaces for Indigenous employees.
This Framework will provide guidance, resources, training, and practical tools that will help you assess community needs related to workplace literacy and essential skills and then engage Indigenous stakeholders to develop an action plan for improving cultural competency and Skills for Success within the workplace and the workforce.
Is this Community Framework for you?
Indigenous Communities
Does your community have limited access to workplace training or high unemployment?
Do your community members face barriers to employment because of limited workplace skills?
Do you want to strengthen cultural connections and understandings with non-indigenous organizations and employers?
Indigenous Communities (Elders, Leaders, members, Indigenous community organizations) can use this toolkit to build culturally appropriate workplace training and mentorship programs and work with employers to support Indigenous employees to enter and succeed in the workplace.
Employers
Are you an employer who is having trouble attracting and retaining skilled Indigenous employees?
Do you have high turnover and can’t figure out why?
Employers can use this toolkit to learn how to better support Indigenous employees in the workplace by building Skills for Success and gain a better understanding of Indigenous culture.
Bridging Organizations
Are you a job resource or skills training centre that is looking for resources for clients struggling with limited literacy and foundational skills?
Indigenous and non-Indigenous Bridging Organizations (HR, job resource, community organization, and skills training centres) can use this toolkit to better prepare Indigenous people for entry and advancement in the workplace.
What are Skills for Success?
Research has identified nine Skills for Success that enable us to succeed in everyday life and at work. These include the skills we commonly associate with literacy: reading, writing, and numeracy. But go beyond to also include problem solving, communication, digital skills, collaboration, adaptability, and creativity & innovation.
Explore Skills for Success from across Turtle Island
Reading
Writing
Numeracy
Métis Sash. The Michif words for sash is la sayncheur flayshii.
The Sash fringes can be used to count the days or weeks on the trapline, used to count the number of furs being harvested in any given time as examples.
Digital
Problem Solving
...
Adaptability
Communication
Oral communication...
Creativity and innovation
Collaboration
Infinity Symbol is often meant to indicate “the coming together of two cultures, forever”.
Métis have a reputation for being able to navigate between the Indigenous and European (or white) worlds due in part to their duality of cultural roots.
How to use this Framework:
A pathway to success
This Framework is not designed to follow a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Instead, the Indigenous Workplace Learning Framework you develop will be designed to meet the needs of your specific community, employers, and employees and will draw from one or more of the many resources, trainings, and tools outline in the sections to follow.
The pathway for success outlines clear steps for successful development and implementation of an Indigenous Workplace Learning Framework.
Case Study:
Saugeen First Nation Youth Council
The Aaron Roote Memorial Youth Centre is located along the highway that runs through Saugeen First Nation, an Anishnaabe community nestled between Lake Huron and the Saugeen River in what is now called Ontario. The Centre was bustling by 9:00am as our host youth facilitators set up the space for the workshop. They moved with a sense of purpose and confidence, double checking details and greeting people as they came in... read more.