Officials at the Kikino Metis Settlement are conducting a labour market survey in an attempt to discover the variety of skills of their members. Community leaders are calling it an inventory of the settlement’s human resources.
The survey is the latest step in a plan that began 10 years ago with settlment officials helping with the funding of members post-secondary education. Using an annual grant of $250,000 from the federal government topped up with $150,000 from the settlement’s trust fund, Kikino council paid for the post-secondary education of every eligible settlement member who applied for funding, said Kikino chairman Floyd Thompson, adding that members took courses from a few weeks long, such as first aid, to longer apprenticeship or upgrading courses, as well as university and college degrees and diplomas.
“We made sure there was funding available for them,” he said, adding it was made clear to applicants that if they didn’t complete the program they registered for, there would be a two-year waiting period before being eligible to reapply for funding.
The program is still in effect, and Kikino council is now looking to take stock of the skills gained by their members as they continue their economic development plan.
“Now we want to go to the next level,” said Thompson, adding that as Kikino council searches out new economic development opportunities, and looks to attract companies to the area to work with, they need to be sure the settlement has the human resources to meet the expected demands of potential business partners.
“If we go out and sell our community, we need to know what we’re selling,” he said, adding that the upcoming labour market survey will give council the data to answer that question.
“It’s finding out what we have,” he said, using an example of a company asking for 50 welders, and administration not knowing how many welders are in the community.
To find the answer to those questions, the survey will ask for educational and work experience, as well as other information, as council looks to build a database of information about their members. All personal information will be kept confidential, said Thompson, adding that only the assembled stats will be made public.
Council is hoping to get everybody over the age of 16 to fill out a survey, said Thompson, adding they realize they won’t get 100 per cent participation, but they are trying to make it as easy as possible for people to fill out. Community members will be going door to door to help people fill out surveys, and the document is also available online at kikinoms.ca or at the settlement office. To encourage people to fill out the forms, the settlement is offering five random draw prizes of $200 each for everyone who participates.
Although they are trying to get full support, and are trying to encourage all members to fill out a survey, the Kikino council is stopping short of making the survey mandatory.
“Nobody will be forced to do it,” said Thompson.
Once the surveys are collected, and the data compiled, the information will be used to take stock of what Kikino has to offer in the way of human resources, as well as being used to help develop further strategic and economic planning.
