The Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) is the national and international voice through which Canada’s colleges and institutes inform and advise various levels of government, business, industry and labour. ACCC’s Strategic Focus priorities for 2005-2006 include Aboriginal peoples’ access to post-secondary education, and enhancing student success support mechanisms in colleges and institutes which are grounded in Aboriginal values, culture and tradition.
Aboriginal peoples’ access to post-secondary education and community development has been one of ACCC’s key advocacy priorities since the creation of the Association in 1972, and has been addressed through numerous ACCC conference sessions and initiatives. ACCC’s 1993 submission to The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples called for the development of creative partnerships between Aboriginal communities and colleges and institutes:
“As First Nation communities deal with their internal needs, grow strong and reach out in strength, then colleges and institutes will have a role to play. The key is partnerships of equals.?
This submission paper put emphasis on the need for these partnerships to be led by Aboriginal leaders and communities, called for the creation of more Aboriginal schools and colleges and emphasized “the value of having Aboriginal people teach Aboriginal people”, in “recognition of what has long been known about the recovery of cultural self-esteem and confidence.?
Since 1993, creative partnerships and initiatives between colleges and institutes and Aboriginal communities have been developed. Today, it is clear that given Canadian colleges’ and institutes’ extensive reach across the country and their capacity to work closely with communities to identify education and training needs, these institutions are key partners for national, provincial/territorial, Aboriginal and community-based efforts to address Aboriginal Canadians’ needs for increased access to post-secondary education, labour market participation and overall community development. At the same time, although some progress has been made, many challenges remain at the governance, legislative and policy development levels, and at the operational level for the delivery of appropriate and relevant education and training programs, and effective and equitable partnerships that enable social and economic development within Aboriginal communities.
In order to assess the role of colleges and institutes in facilitating Aboriginal Canadians’ access to post-secondary education, labour market participation and contribution to Aboriginal community development, in April and May 2005 ACCC initiated a study on Aboriginal programs and services at colleges and Institutes. For the purposes of this study and report, the term Aboriginal is used to describe, in general, the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people of Canada. The study included a literature review, an on-line survey for mainstream ACCC member colleges and institutes, and interviews with representatives from Aboriginal and northern ACCC member colleges and institutes, and the Aboriginal Institutes Consortium, an Associate Member of ACCC. The list of participating colleges and institutes is provided in Appendix A.
Of the 140 ACCC member colleges and institutes, 61 participated in the study, 59 mainstream institutions, including the colleges in the three territories, and 2 Aboriginal institutions for an overall response rate of over 44 percent.