portfolio, which includes Small Business
of the Year (2014) and First Nation Entre-
preneurial Symposium (2014). In 2016, af-
ter being nominated four times in a row,
Whiteknife was the winner of the Alber-
ta Chamber of Commerce Eagle Feather
Award of Distinction.
But behind every success story, there are
struggles. Since the economy started to
slow down in 2015 and suppliers started
going with more national brands, ICEIS
Safety has been experiencing some tough
times. But Whiteknife already knew the
solution: diversification. The safety sup-
plies department was shut down and the
company’s new focus centred on expand-
ing an existing initiative.
“I realized that the biggest challenge is
education and training for our First Nations
people in remote locations. It was a barrier
for employment,” Whiteknife said. About
six years ago, he created and wrote the
Get Ready Program, which helps Aborigi-
nal, Inuit and Métis people find work in the
oil and gas and construction industries.
Participants receive job readiness certifi-
cation, help with job placement, coaching
after entering the workforce, and mentor-
ing that tackles on-the-job challenges.
The small group size (12 people per fa-
cilitator), the option to join a women-only
group, Get Ready Youth Camps for young-
er people and ICEIS Safety’s established
industry connections add to the success
of the program.
The program is accredited by the Canadi-
an Council for Certified Professionals and
Indigenous Canada, but the accreditation
DECEMBER 2016
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