Xwémalhkwu Labour Force Planning Initiative
The Labour Force Planning Initiative was part of a joint venture agreement that was signed by Xwémalhkwu Nation and its industry partner. This agreement included revenue sharing as well as the right of first refusal for a substantial portion of contracting and employment opportunities related to a major clean energy project. As part of this development, Xwémalhkwu identified the need to undertake labour force and economic development planning that would ensure their membership has the skills, knowledge and capacity required to fully realize their vision and capitalize on the economic and employment opportunities that would arise as the project was constructed and commissioned. The project was completed in 3 phases including:
Phase 1 | Employment Opportunities Assessment
This phase of the project included a comprehensive profile of the types of employment opportunities that would arise from the proposed hydroelectric project as well as the skills, knowledge sets and capacities that would be required by members to pursue and successfully fulfill these positions.
Phase 2 | Community Skills Assessment
This phase of work involved documenting the skills and human resource capabilities that exist in the community. The existing skills and capacities were compared with the employment opportunities and requirements identified through the Employment Opportunities Assessment. This comparison was used to identify key training and educational requirements for community members to pursue and successfully attain employment in the new ‘green’ energy hydroelectric industry that will result from the proposed project. A key aspect of the community skills assessment also considered the barriers and challenges members confront in pursuing training and educational opportunities and utilizing their education and knowledge in the employment market.
Phase 3 | Human Resources and Employment Plan
In this phase of work, Xwémalhkwu Nation identified strategies and policies for members to pursue employment opportunities related to the hydroelectricity project. It included the development of a Human Resources Policy for the Economic Development Corporation, an Employee Retention Strategy, a Training Strategy and a Small Business Information Package.
