Yukon College strives to support First Nations governments and communities in the implementation of their Land Claims and Self-Government Agreements by providing education and training. Yukon College also strives to include First Nations worldviews in educational processes (for example, courses in the English program include a Survey of First Nations Literature, courses in the Criminology program include Aboriginal Justice, etc). Courses and programs are offered in First Nations communities as needs are identified, such as trades programs when a construction project is anticipated in the community, or office administration programs to build capacity for self-government. Yukon College programs and services are very well aligned with First Nations community needs. In fact, with 42% of our student body being First Nations, the needs of First Nations and the needs of Yukon College students are not really different from one another.
Colleges and institutes are responding to the needs of Aboriginal learners within their communities by becoming involved in different formal and informal partnerships at the community, regional, provincial and even pan-Canadian levels. Responding colleges and institutes identified 6 different types of partnerships in which they are involved for the delivery of programs and services which benefit Aboriginal learners. Examples of these types of partnerships are provided below.
Partnerships between Aboriginal and Mainstream Institutions
The Assembly of First Nations advocates for the need to recognize and increase support for
Aboriginal institutes, and enable them to develop alliances with other PSE institutions in the
form of accreditation, articulation and affiliation agreements.
As indicated in sections 2.6 and 4, Aboriginal-controlled institutions are required to work through mainstream institutions to gain access to funding and to provide their learners with the post secondary credentials they are seeking. Based on an interview the Aboriginal Institutes Consortium (AIC), which represents the eight Aboriginal institutions in Ontario, it is clear that alliances and partnerships between Aboriginal and mainstream institutions must also be made more equitable and balanced so that Aboriginal-controlled institutions have access to adequate resources and funding for meet the increasing demands for their programs and services by Aboriginal people. AIC member institutions are receiving increasing demands for their services by Aboriginal people within their communities and regions, enrolments and the demand for community-based post-secondary education and training continue to grow at rates that cannot be met by Aboriginal institutions.
Over half of respondent mainstream institutions indicated that they offer career and technical programs in partnerships with Aboriginal post-secondary institutions. There is clearly a need to enhance these partnerships to make them more equitable, so that both Aboriginal and mainstream institutions can collaborate more to better serve Aboriginal learners who are seeking out their programs and services.
First Nations Governments, Bands, Tribal Councils, Métis Organizations
Colleges and institutes, both mainstream and Aboriginal, have partnerships with First Nations
Governments, Bands, Tribal Councils and Métis organizations for the delivery of community-
based training, largely through contract training arrangements, collaboration and input for
college/institute program development and delivery, involvement in Aboriginal advisory
structures, and Aboriginal student support services to assist students with financial assistance
mechanisms provided through First Nations Bands, Tribal Councils and Aboriginal
organizations.