4. Aboriginal – controlled Institutions

Aboriginal controlled institutions develop programs based on the core values that post-secondary education is a treaty right for Aboriginal people and should be controlled by Aboriginal people. As such programs combine technical and academic skills and knowledge with Aboriginal values, traditions, history and ways of knowing, in areas such as Business and community development; Aboriginal, First Nations and Native Studies; Natural resources and the Environment; Early Childhood Education and Child Care. Aboriginal institutes which are not funded by provincial operating grants are required to partner with mainstream institutions in order for their students to receive legislatively approved post-secondary credentials for college/institute programs. These institutes are advocating for recognition from provincial governments or to develop a more effective articulation process between mainstream and Aboriginal institutions.

5. Funding for College and Institute Service and Program Development and Delivery

Colleges and institutes are funding recruitment, assessment, counselling and support services for Aboriginal learners mainly from five sources: operating grants/base funding, tuition, provincial/territorial government programs, Human Resources and Skills Development (HRSDC) and First Nations Bands.

The main funding sources for the development and delivery of Aboriginal education and training programs are: tuition, operating grants/base funding, First Nations Bands, Provincial/territorial government programs, earned revenue through contract training.

Funding Challenges:

• Insufficient program funds provided through provincial base funding, provincial/territorial Aboriginal program funding, and INAC’s Indian Studies Support Program.
• Insufficient student funding provided through programs such as INAC’s Post-secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) which impacts upon colleges’ and institutes’ capacity to deliver Aboriginal programs
• Aboriginal institutes have limited sources of funding to access because, with the exception of Nicola Valley Institute of Technology in British Columbia, they do not receive base funding from provincial governments.
• The project-based funding which institutions must rely on to supplement the limited resources available has serious limitations for long-term and sustainable approaches to programming.
• Funding available through Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) through Aboriginal Human Resource Development Agreements (AHRDA) and Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDA) also has limitations for Aboriginal programming at colleges and institutes. These programs are short -term and geared to direct employment however many Aboriginal learners at colleges and institutes first require upgrading or high school equivalents. The requirement of the LMDAs that only Employment Insurance (EI) eligible people benefit from training programs is very limiting in rural and remote contexts with very high unemployment rates because there may not be many people in these regions who are EI eligible.