Performance Management Consultants designed and delivered a pilot training program for people with disabilities in Baker Lake, Nunavut in the fall of 2016.
Click here to view the full report
“On behalf of our team at PMC I am thrilled to present the report from our pilot project in Baker Lake, Nunavut supporting Inuit who face barriers to employment. Thank you to everyone who made this project such a success. We have already received some wonderful feedback and we welcome your comments and questions. Qujannamiik/Ma’na/Thank you.”
– Erin Strachan, Manager, Indigenous Capacity-Building, Performance Management Consultants
The final program report (PDF) provides details on the approach, program design and delivery, as well as results and recommendations for future programs.
Funding for this project was obtained from the Government of Nunavut (GN) Department of Family Services (DFS) through the Labour Market Agreement for Persons with Disabilities (LMAPD).
The scope of the program involved selecting, assessing and training 16 people who face barriers to employment with the goal of increasing their employability to help them find, secure and keep employment.
In addition to five modules of classroom-based training, the project team also organized many extracurricular activities to incorporate principles of Inuit culture and provide practical application of the concepts. Employer outreach activities linked participants with local employers and support services, helping participants identify opportunities, apply for jobs, and pursue further education and training in order to work in their desired field.
Excellent results were achieved for participants through the program, including:
- Two participants obtained full-time (or full-time equivalent) jobs, and five participants obtained part-time jobs. The jobs obtained were in a diverse cross-section of the wage economy in Baker Lake, including mining, public administration, property management, hospitality and distribution.
- Seven participants applied to the Pathway to Adult Secondary School (PASS) program to obtain their Grade 12; however only two were accepted (primarily due to low literacy levels among the other applicants). One participant has begun PASS and the other begins in the fall of 2017.
- Two participants were accepted into the Inspire Nunavut Youth Entrepreneur training (along with PMC’s former Program Coordinator). They are currently taking this training in Baker Lake.
- One participant is taking pre-trades in Rankin Inlet, with a carpentry apprenticeship lined up for the fall of 2017 following the completion of her diploma.
- Five participants are serving on the newly formed Abluqta “Leap Forward Together” Society to help start a thrift shop social enterprise in the community. This enterprise is intended to provide employment for persons with disabilities.
PMC looks forward to building on the success of this pilot with additional programs in Baker Lake and other Nunavut hamlets in 2017.