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THE CHANGING FACE OF TRUCKING
Build relationships
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but to other companies in northern Saskatchewan, as well.”
Deb Steel, news director for the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society
of Alberta, said the most import- ant thing when it comes to attract- ing Indigenous Peoples to indus- tries like trucking is relationship building, as well as knowing which groups are already working with those communities.
“If there is a need in an Indigenous community, there is a group trying to fill that need,” said Steel. “Take for instance, Women Building Futures, a company that trains women in the trades and industry professions. From the grassroots to the corporate level, like the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, a simple call will get you a referral to the right source and qualified, trained and experienced staff. And that call might just open up other opportu- nities for your business.”
Steel said there are huge net- works of companies working together to employ Indigenous workers, as well as Aboriginal busi- nesses as sub-contractors and experts in their field.
“Let’s remember that 60% of First Nations people live off reserve, and Indigenous Peoples also include Metis, Inuit, and non-status peoples too,” she said. “That’s 1.4 million people across the country. That’s a lot of potential.”
A lot of potential indeed.
A study completed by Trucking HR Canada this past May indicates that 46% of Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples are under the age of 24, and more than half live in cities.
Canada’s Aboriginal communities are made up of 60.8% First Nations, 32.3% Metis, and 4.2% Inuit.
The study says some of the barri- ers in recruiting Aboriginal workers include assumptions about the industry, a lack of understanding of what kind of jobs exist in the indus- try, and on the employer side, a misconception of what Indigenous
Carriers that provide in-house training can gain an upper hand when it comes to recruiting Indigenous workers, which helps when drivers are in high demand.
Peoples look for in a career. Terry Shaw, executive direc-
tor of the Manitoba Trucking Association (MTA), said his associa- tion shares and promotes Trucking HR Canada’s research with its members.
Trucking HR Manitoba submit- ted an application for the Manitoba industry sector council, and one
of the four targeted objectives was to solicit partnerships with the Aboriginal community, an effort that is not new to the MTA.
“The MTA has previously partnered with the Centre for Aboriginal HR Development and we applied for program funding for a Class 1 training program,” Shaw pointed out, adding that they also recently met with representa- tives from the Aboriginal Business Council and the Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce.
Shaw said there is a large Aboriginal population in Manitoba, a younger population, which means partnering with the community makes sense for the industry.
Arrow Transportation Systems out of Kamloops, B.C., is another carrier that offers a profes-
sional driver training program for Indigenous Peoples.
A partnership between Arrow, BCT Projects, Thompson River University, and Columbia Transport Training, the effort is an attempt to combat the driver shortage in the industry and high unemployment in First Nations communities.
“We have a history of building long-standing working relation- ships with First Nations commu- nities based on trust, respect, and cooperation,” said Kevin Gayfer, regional manager of Arrow. “Our partnerships with First Nations groups have been established through formal joint ventures
and informal collaborative initia- tives. Arrow plans to build on these unique partnerships while provid- ing employment opportunities for First Nations communities.”
The program provides training and education through Thompson River University to acquire a Class 1 licence. Graduates then do on-the- job training with Arrow’s driver mentor program.
Dave Earle, president and CEO of the B.C. Trucking Association, said his association does not have any specific policies to address the hiring of more Indigenous workers, but recognize the need to engage this under-represented group.
“Engaging Canada’s Indigenous Peoples is important for the con- tinued success of our industry,” said Earle. “We have begun working with public and Aboriginal train- ing centers to better understand the needs of Indigenous persons and the obstacles that they face enter- ing our industry.”
Earle said the price tag attached to provincial licensing programs can be a barrier to individuals looking to acquire a commercial licence.
“The expense of quality training and a lack of financial supports is another issue we are working with government to mitigate,” he said.
Featherstone said her company’s ability to train its own drivers has been the key to their success.
“The routes that we travel are directly through some of our part- nership communities,” she said. “No one knows the roads or the needs of the communities better than those members, so it makes sense that we direct our training there.”
Featherstone said other carri- ers have also benefited from NRT’s training program.
“Our graduates and drivers are
in high demand from not just other trucking companies, but other industries as well,” she said. “We have had our graduates move on
to successful careers in mining, milling, policing, construction and countless other careers. The key to the success of our drivers, both with us and elsewhere seems to be the training and the safety standards that are in place.”
Steel said relationship building with Aboriginal communities has been happing for some time.
“They won’t be starting from scratch or inventing the wheel,” Steel said. “There are huge benefits to this relationship building. If your head is in the place where you are willing to learn about working with Indigenous populations, then there are plenty of folks who will help guide that effort.” TW
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