Abstract
Aboriginal communities in Canada are typically marginalized, have very low employment participation rates, and have limited economic infrastructure. The downturn in global economies further marginalized these communities. The University of Northern British Columbia’s (UNBC) Continuing Studies department piloted an Aboriginal and Small Business Leadership Certificate program in the central interior of British Columbia (BC) between November 2008 and May 2009. The aim of the program was to address some of the issues faced by Aboriginal communities affected by the mountain pine beetle infestation in central BC. The success of the pilot project led UNBC Continuing Studies to collaborate with some communities in the central interior of BC to access funds through the federal government’s Community Adjustment Funds initiative in order to develop and deliver a business capacity building project. The project consisted of a certificate program with enhanced Aboriginal content and an internship program to provide workplace experience for students. This paper reports on the practice of community engagement and learning as a result of this project.
Highlights
The University of Northern British Columbia’s (UNBC) Continuing Studies department piloted an Aboriginal and Small Business Leadership Certificate (ASBLC) program within three communities. These communities, Vanderhoof, Quesnel, and Williams Lake, needed to diversify their economies because of the downturn in the forestry industry caused by the mountain pine beetle epidemic
From the successes and challenges of this pilot program, UNBC Continuing Studies learned that there were significant literacy gaps between students from remote reserve communities and those who lived in urban settings (Kunkel, 2009)
UNBC Continuing Studies noted that significant literacy gaps exist in Aboriginal student populations from reserve communities surrounding the Williams Lake, Quesnel, and Vanderhoof areas
Summary
The project in this report consisted of a Business Development Assistants Certificate (BDAC) program with enhanced Aboriginal content and an internship program to provide workplace experience for students. From the successes and challenges of this pilot program, UNBC Continuing Studies learned that there were significant literacy gaps between students from remote reserve communities and those who lived in urban settings (Kunkel, 2009). In August, 2009, UNBC Continuing Studies developed the business capacity building project, consisting of the BDAC and internship programs to help communities recover more quickly from the global economic recession.
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