The National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation Gathers Aboriginal Front Line Workers And Decision Makers In Ottawa To Discuss Crucial Aboriginal Workforce Issues

Muskoday, February 23, 2008 – The National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation is hosting its National Aboriginal Workforce Development Forum 2008. The Forum will take place from February 24 to 28, 2008 at the Marriott Hotel on Kent in Ottawa.

Chief Austin Bear, President and CEO of the Foundation, will welcome participants in his opening address. Ian Potter, Assistant Deputy Minister, First Nations and Inuit Health, Health Canada and Kathy Langlois, Director General, First Nations and Inuit Health, Community Programs Directorate, Health Canada will also welcome the Forum Participants.

Bringing together regional, national and international leaders, decision- makers, program, policy and front-line workers, the Forum will showcase research, best practices and promising approaches, providing information to better inform workers, community leaders and policy makers on work force development issues, pertinent to advancing the needs of Aboriginal Health, Addictions and Mental Health/Wellness workers nationwide.

Since 2003, NNAPF directed its efforts to organize and deliver yearly Training Conferences, offering a stakeholder-driven program of informal and certified training. This year, the Foundation has decided to organize a forum-based event on an issue that have been the object of its attention for many years, and which has now clearly become an important emerging issue for Aboriginal people in Canada and in other parts of the world: Workforce Development.

NNAPF’s leadership role in regard to this issue was evidenced two years ago with the finalizing of its Aboriginal strategy on Workforce development, the first of its kind in Canada. Addictions/Wellness workforce development is critical at this time, and it is opportune to review, update and strengthen this document in the light of the many changes that have occurred in this field in the last two years.

Recognizing the need for filling the gap between education and training and workforce development measures, NNAPF is hosting the forum in the hope that we will pave the way for workforce development in its entirety, including policies, systems, and structures able to sustain a healthy, constructive, successful and healthy Aboriginal workforce. We anticipate that the Forum will:

• Set direction in supporting and promoting a systems approach to address WFD Workforce Development (WFD) policy at all levels and jurisdictions, to feed into the NNAPF’s 5 Year Strategic National Workforce Development Work plan 2008-2013, in support of the broader Pan-Canadian and Aboriginal Health Human Resources initiative underway nation-wide;
• Identify cost-effective and practical solutions and strategies in an environment focused on partnership, value-added approaches and accountability;
• Share new developments in the WFD field and promising developments in prior learning assessments, laddering opportunities, etc.; and,
• Increase knowledge and best practices in WFD, such as advances in quality assurance, structures for monitoring, cross-training, etc.

An important component of the forum is the review and discussion of some of the findings from the Foundation’s National Survey on the Aboriginal Workforce in the Addictions/Wellness field.

The first of its kind for NNAPF, the Forum has been designed as a uniquely interactive event, which will fully engage the contribution of all its participants and foster mutual learning across the table, from decision makers and front line workers alike. It offers everyone the opportunity to explore a variety of issues on the theme of workforce development such as Core Competencies, Training, and Certification and Cultural Knowledge in the Workplace.

The goal of the discussions and feedback obtained from a carefully planned program menu of panel presentations and workshops is to begin the development of a national aboriginal Strategic Plan on Workforce Development.

NNAPF’s interactive Aboriginal Workforce Development Forum 2008 has been conceived to put in place the first phase of this plan through daily group reporting that will then inform a Visioning session for a Strategic Plan on Workforce Development and a forward planning session outlining the next step of the process.

We are proud to welcome participants from all over Canada and look forward to their unique, valuable and expert contribution to this exciting and innovative endeavour. Together, they can make a real difference in moving forward, developing and implementing the first national plan for the enhancement of the Aboriginal Workforce development in Canada.