Participants Indigenous Peoples; People from rural, remote, and northern communities

Inuvialuit Skills Matrix

The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation was created in 1984 through the Inuvialuit Final Agreement land treaty agreement with Canada to advance the interests of Inuvialuit in the Beaufort Delta of the Northwest Territories and across Canada through the protection of land and culture, provision of services and the creation of economic opportunities. As part of these efforts, FSC has funded IRC’s project Inuvialuit Skills Matrix, an initiative which would introduce data, infrastructure and strategic planning tools to create a systemic solution to job creation, training and skills development.

Build a career and skill grow. Make progress concept. Promotion at work. Set a goal to achieve. Step by step. Self improvement. Upgrade and level up. Build a business. Profit growth.

The Matrix aimed to create the first comprehensive picture of Inuvialuit employment, skills, training, traditional knowledge and education, and allow IRC to better tailor opportunities for employment, career training, educational assistance and guidance in a remote environment and shifting Northern employment landscape. This initiative is a first-of-its-kind project to establish a comprehensive understanding of skills strengths and gaps within an Indigenous population and will create a new approach to targeting opportunities and training that can become a model for other Inuit, First Nations and Metis communities. Led by Inuvialuit for Inuvialuit, the Skills Matrix is a vital step towards long-term systems change, carried out considering cultural relevance, scalability and immediate impact.