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business elite canada
H
JANUARY 2016
representatives of the Partnership Advi-
sory Committee (PAC), representing gov-
ernment, industry and employers. AABO
is the only association of its kind in Can-
ada but given the interest industries are
showing in hiring skilled aboriginal trades
people, Monture expects similar groups to
eventually form in other provinces.
“The aboriginal population is the youngest
and fastest-growing in Canada. (Hiring ab-
original employees) makes sense as peo-
ple retire, as skills gaps are identified …
it’s a natural, made-in-Canada solution as
opposed to looking at foreign labour,” she
said. In return, a skilled trade represents
the beginning of a well-paying career that
can have a positive impact on their family
and the aboriginal community as a whole.
“It’s a chance to be successful (and) if you
get into a unionized situation, you’re look-
ing at pension and benefits.”
ENCOURAGE EMPLOYMENT
IN SKILLED TRADES
In November, AABO hosted their fifth an-
nual conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario,
organized to highlight the need for partner-
ships that could help encourage more ab-
original people to enter skilled trades. The
