Aboriginal Professional Association of Canada

The Aboriginal Professional Association of Canada (APAC) was first launched in Toronto in 2011, with the goal of building a supportive community and foundation for Aboriginal professionals working across the city region. The Association gives members the opportunity to connect, learn and prosper as a community - with the ultimate goal of expanding Canada wide in the medium-to-long-term.
APAC serves First Nations, Métis and Inuit professionals by facilitating opportunities to further develop professional skills and experiences, develop and grow networks, and showcase excellence through recognition.
Case for Change
In Canada, the Aboriginal population is the fastest growing demographic growing at roughly twice the annual rate of the non-Aboriginal population. Of this population, approximately half reside in urban areas and 48% of the total population are under the age of 24 (Statistics Canada, 2006).
Although the population is growing, there is a large gap and underrepresentation of Aboriginal professionals and leaders across all sectors. In the Canadian Board Diversity Council’s 2010 Annual Report card, only 0.8% of FP500 companies self reported having Aboriginal peoples on their Boards. Part of this underrepresentation is due to the lack of formal and informal support such as networks, and other socio-economic factors. For instance, many First Nations people who graduate from post-secondary education are often first in their family to do so. This means they often lack the support systems needed to navigate complex career paths and develop into leadership positions. APAC address this need by building a supportive community for members, facilitating professional growth opportunities, and recognizing success stories in the community.
History
Late in 2010, Gabrielle Scrimshaw of the Hatchet Lake First Nation moved to Toronto from Northern Saskatchewan to pursue a career in financial services. After realizing that no organization existed to serve the needs of First Nation, Métis or Inuit professionals within the Greater Toronto Area, the inspiration for APAC was born. Over the course of 2011, a group of seven dedicated volunteers worked with community stakeholders, potential members and partners to set the organization’s direction. Through these engagements, the Aboriginal Professional Association of Canada was founded.
In 2011 the team organized focus groups, conducted surveys, met one-on-one with community stakeholders and launched two successful events – one focused on leadership development and the other on networking opportunities.
Community Response
Feedback has been overwhelming positive and the momentum continues to build. As an example, the event focused on network development reached the initial RSVP limit within 10-days time and the organizing team had to increase capacity to ensure all interested members could attend. To date, APAC has over 100 supporters on their mailing list (gathered in three-months time) including over 70 Aboriginal professionals. Early in APAC's formation, the organization spurred media interest with Gabrielle being interviewed by Toronto's #1 morning radio show CBC's Metro Morning (see interview at: http://www.cbc.ca/metromorning/episodes/2011/10/31/adjusting-to-to/).
Structure
APAC is a volunteer run organization that is currently free to join for First Nations, Métis and Inuit professionals in the GTA. The organization is now in the incorporation process, solidifying long-term advisory members, gathering volunteers, while developing value-add services for their membership.