Ontario Construction News staff writer
On June 21, National Indigenous People’s Day, EllisDon introduced its ALLiED (ALL inclusive at EllisDon) Outreach Team, which focuses on expanding opportunities for Indigenous people across Canada within the construction industry and has spent the last six months developing a model for Indigenous apprenticeships in Alberta.
The model is expected to be fine-tuned and launched in other areas across Canada where EllisDon can offer opportunities for the same growth and learning with their Indigenous partners.
The team, led by Hector Saldivida, senior health, safety and environmental coordinator, has built relationships with both educators and Indigenous leaders to launch a program of education and support “leading to meaningful work for many Indigenous communities that otherwise would not have had access to these careers”.
“In recognition of Indigenous People’s Day on June 21, EllisDon wishes to celebrate the opportunities that lay ahead for our Indigenous partners, and commend the hard work and success of these teams thus far and share the letter of endorsement generously offered by Staahtsisttayaaki Dr. Genevieve A Fox, Education Director of the Blackfoot Confederacy Nation in Alberta,” the company said in a news release.
“With this endorsement, ALLiED will continue to forge both Indigenous and Educational relationships that will allow our Indigenous Apprenticeship program to flourish beyond the borders of Alberta, into other markets where EllisDon can impact the lives of these communities with the hope of creating meaningful careers in our industry.”