Nunavut wage gap highest in Canada
Report estimates $52,000 earning gap between Inuit and non-Inuit
Beth Brown
Northern News Services
Monday, December 12, 2016
NUNAVUT
The wage gap between Inuit and non-Inuit in Nunavut could be as high as $52,000, according to a study released by the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board in November.
The class from the Cambridge Bay wellness centre's 2016 job readiness program. Back row, from left, Kevin Kanayok, Terilyn Allukpik, Shantelle Vandenbrink, Donny Angulalik, Geoff Kalaohok, Darius Taipagak. Front row, from left, facilitators Elizabeth Kaosoni and Ermie LeBlanc, Mary Ann Palvialok, Kalene Epilon, Helen Kavanna, Janielle Vandenbrink. - photo courtesy of Ermie Leblanc
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The report is titled Reconciliation: Growing Canada's Economy by $27.7 billion, and suggests that the national economy is missing out financially by under-employing indigenous people. Of this $27.7 billion, the potential increase in available GDP for the territories was as much as $4 billion.
The report also states that if the 28,596 indigenous workers in the territories had access to the same training and education as non-indigenous workers, the group would see a $1.1 billion jump in employment income.
Article 23 of the Nunavut Agreement calls for the representative levels of Inuit employment within the public service, which would require 85 per cent to reflect the population.
"As of September of this year the rate (of Inuit employment) within the Government of Nunavut (GN) is at 51 per cent," said Virginia Mearns, associate deputy minister for the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs.
In 2006, NTI filed a $1.1 billion lawsuit against the GN for failure to meet this level of Inuit representation. The lawsuit was settled outside of court in 2015 for a compensation package of $255.5 million, part of which would fund an Inuit training corporation.
Still, $52,000 is a very large gap.
Employers usually base wages on the cost of living, which is widely acknowledged as high in Nunavut, said Mearns.
"With the discrepancy between those that may be on social assistance versus those that are employed in the workforce, there definitely would be a significant jump in those earnings," she said.
"The difference in that report between Nunavut and other jurisdictions is that other jurisdictions have well-established or well-diversified economies."
She said government - Nunavut's primary employer - is working to redefine skills and educational requirements, and increase the number of Inuit within management positions.
Nunavut-specific skills
Speaking at the legislature in November, MLA Isaac Shooyook suggested that Inuit skills are being narrowly assessed.
"Today we constantly hear the refrain 'Inuit have lower levels of education', and yes, that may be truthful with the colonial western education systems, as Inuit have just started," he said. "The way Inuit have always learned is via observation and lifelong learning."
He said systematic barriers inhibit the true capabilities of Inuit people from being acknowledged and fostered.
"Our past is littered with stories of almost superhuman abilities with no formal education. If we don't recognize the barriers, especially related to Inuit employment in government, we will never reach the 85 per cent threshold."
Mearns said that the GN is working to create a list of equivalencies for measuring Nunavut-specific skills and experience against academics.
"In a lot of our communities there are organized community harvests - be it whale hunting, caribou hunting, organizing fishing trips - and there tends to be group leaders. This requires a lot of organization skills and a strong ability to delegate and bring people together. These are all crucial components especially for the government where we need to be able to communicate with the public and build a team dynamic in an office."
She said the same comparisons can be made with science education and a strong traditional comprehension of animal anatomy.
"We need to confirm what that equates to if there is an absence of academics - what do these existing skill sets demonstrate - and then tell potential employers."
There are also training programs in place for Inuit currently employed by the GN who would like to move into managerial roles.
Community training a start
The high cost of travel is a challenge to increasing employment options, which makes community programming crucial.
The wellness centre in Cambridge Bay has been offering a community-based job readiness program for seven years, currently in partnership with KIA. The program has also been offered in Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak.
The six-week course focuses on gaining and sustaining employment through confidence building, resume development and interview preparation.
"It's a positive approach to growing and gaining confidence based upon your connections with your culture, the land and yourself," said Ermie Leblanc of the wellness centre.
Ten students graduated from the course on Nov. 25, and five of them had job offers before they finished, she said.
During the course, classes research potential employers for job placements in the community. The students then interview the employers and bring this information back to their classmates and use the information to start building resumes. They role-play the interview process to help with shyness.
"It puts them in the driver's seat, that's what we do with this program from the beginning," said Leblanc.
Figures in the report come from equations applied equally to each province and territory.
"These were projected numbers that they anticipate were the gaps. We haven't been able to confirm that it is the reality in Nunavut," said Mearns.
The report also fails to consider the cost of closing the wage gap.
But the numbers do create needed conversation on ensuring indigenous peoples have equal opportunity, said Mearns.
"We want to see our workforce made up of Nunavummiut," in both government and the private sector, she said.
