Balancing Strategies: Self-Directed Life and Career Exploration for Indigenous Students
- Adult education
- Cultural preservation
- Community development
- Employment
- Intergenerational relations
- Indigenous cultures
- Spirituality
Gina
Starblanket
Gina Starblanket
UVic Office of Indigenous Affairs
Yes
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.
University, Technical Institute or College.
More than 5 years
A series of culturally-relevant interactive activities and talking circles aimed at supporting and encouraging Indigenous students' life and career transitions.
Start-Up (a project that is just getting started)
Indigenous populations in British Columbia are younger and growing more rapidly than the general population, both on and off reserve. While Indigenous post-secondary completion rates are steadily increasing, there continues to be disproportionately higher unemployment rates amongst Indigenous populations than non-Indigenous populations. As the young Indigenous population becomes an increasingly large demographic of British Columbia, there is an urgent and compelling need to support Indigenous students' transitions out of post-secondary onto career paths as the educational failures that take place today will have serious impacts on tomorrow's labour force as well as the future livelihood of local Indigenous communities and cultures.
To cultivate a welcoming, supportive and encouraging environment for Indigenous students interested in life and career planning
Increased number of Indigenous students feeling supported in their transitions out of post-secondary; increased number of Indigenous graduates from UVic accessing employment opportunities. At a broader level, the impacts of this program will mitigate some of the socio-economic factors affecting Indigenous learners in the region, and will contribute to a reduction in the unemployment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Over the coming years, the proportion of Indigenous people in the young adult population is projected to grow significantly. There is thus enormous potential at this point in time for increasing Indigenous people's participation in the labour market, which in turn will contribute to the overall capacities and wellness of Indigenous communities.
The program will be open to adaptation based on each new intake but will generally involve circles for students to explore their strengths, gifts, and values while developing realistic personal, career and educational goals and sharing about their plans for themselves, their families and their communities (ie: what is meaningful to them and how/if they are considering giving back to community). Some possibilities involve inviting Elders into the circles and organizing meetings with Elders, career counsellors, and individuals with experience in relevant fields to help students explore their gifts and interests. UVic's Indigenous Counsellor, Office of Indigenous Affairs and Elders-in-Residence have already committed to this project and will be instrumental in its implementation and success.
Elders-in-Residence, relevant career representatives such as staff from UVic's Career and Coop services and Graduate Studies, key industry players and representatives from local Indigenous Internship/Placement programs will be invited to participate in the program. Wherever possible, students wll be encouraged to involve friends, family, and members of their cultural communities in activities and in exploring/mapping life goals.
Spaces and office/administrative equipment can be accessed at UVic for this initiative at no cost. In-kind donations of volunteer hours from relevant Office of Indigenous Affairs and UVic staff will support the program.
No (skip next two questions)