Housing on-reserve is in need of skilled workers and local expertise; from skilled trades to project management, home inspection to energy efficiency auditing, there is a wide range of opportunities for First Nations members to be involved in their community’s housing system. Reimagining Skills Training: Developing a complete housing systems approach in First Nations in Ontario began with the question: What would enable First Nations people to develop expertise, skilled trades and contribute to building greater autonomy in their housing systems?

Reimagining Skills Training explored the barriers associated with the on-reserve skills and education gap. The objective of closing the education and skills gap amongst First Nations people is three-fold: to increase First Nations’ ability to rightfully assert control over their housing systems; to increase employment and advancement opportunities for First Nations members; and to make home maintenance information accessible to support local housing systems. Learning from successes of existing skills training and capacity development programs and through visioning new solutions, this project began by working with stakeholders to understand what works for First Nations people across Ontario and how existing frameworks can be modified to meet their needs and aspirations. As the project advanced, alternative understandings and needs for the on-reserve skills and education gap expanded beyond formal education options. Improving home maintenance knowledge was viewed as a high priority that could benefit both housing professionals and occupants.

Guided by curiosity, the project began by asking: 

What are the barriers to accessing skills and training programs for First Nations? What would enable First Nations people to develop expertise, skilled trades and contribute to building greater autonomy in their housing systems?

Who was involved?

TDL provided support to Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation (OFNTSC) as part of their CMHC Solutions Lab. OFNTSC provides technical advisory services to First Nations in Ontario in the areas of Emergency Management Preparedness, Environment, Engineering, Fuel Systems Management, Fire and Safety, Housing, Infrastructure, Operations & Maintenance, and Water & Wastewater. First Nations housing professionals from housing managers, tenant relations representatives, technical professionals and educators were engaged. 

What was TDL’s role?

TDL conducted a literature review and developed engagement activities for the labs throughout the project. Additionally, TDL facilitated labs and supported OFNTSC in exploring themes that emerged from working with First Nation housing professionals from across Ontario. Finally, TDL supported the final video production through storyboarding, scripting and reviews. 

What types of engagement occurred? 

Workshops

Labs were one day events with half a day spent on each theme as well as virtual engagement sessions. Labs had between 12-18 participants with a diverse background in housing. Participants included housing managers and interns, infrastructure and capital asset managers, housing inspectors and technical managers from First Nations and Tribal Councils providing a diversity of perspectives and experiences. Activities were developed to identify barriers contributing to the skills gap and build towards a common understanding in order to refine potential solutions. 

What was learned?

Creating and disseminating accessible and relevant home maintenance materials for community members and housing departments supports OFNTSC Housing Services’ mandates.

Throughout the Solution Lab: Reimagining Skills Training increasing the accessibility of housing knowledge and skills has been a core theme. The project began by exploring the formal delivery of training and skills programs through accredited education and training institutions and barriers to accessing programs. Early lab activities then focused on understanding participant perspectives and experiences with barriers to skills and training and their potential solutions. As the lab progressed, workshop activities responded to the needs and issues identified by participants focusing on home maintenance and skilled trades. Through these workshops a second approach to viewing knowledge and skills sharing emerged. While increasing the accessibility of  training was seen as important to local housing systems, sharing knowledge and information to enable and empower occupants was also viewed as critical.