• Maximize success stories of college and institute Aboriginal graduates through recruitment initiatives.
• Organize more focus groups and consultations with successful students as well as with those students who were unable to complete.
• Ensure college/institute administrators, faculty and staff have a good understanding of Aboriginal culture, values, traditions and customs.
• Increase in funding for more Aboriginal-specific support services, education and training programs and career counselling and support.

11. Lessons Learned

Through the survey and interviews, colleges and institutes identified lessons learned based on their experience in delivering Aboriginal programs and services. These lessons learned touch upon a diverse number of Aboriginal issues and program and service areas offered by institutions.

At a broad level, colleges and institutes affirmed that:

• Aboriginal control is imperative to ensuring the goals and aspirations of Aboriginal people are maintained.
• There is a growing awareness that the non-Aboriginal population of students, faculty, and administrative people need to be further educated about destructive colonial histories and current realties that continue to impoverish Aboriginal peoples. There is a need to increase awareness that colleges and institutes are actively supportive of Aboriginal peoples.
• It is important to recognize the value and importance of relationships, building relationships with students, administration with faculty, institution with stakeholders. Relationships are very important in Aboriginal cultures where people are used to knowing who they work with. As such, open and two way communication is essential.
• Successful programs and services require commitment from the entire college community.

Some more specific lessons learned identified by participating institutions are provided for student recruitment, student retention, student services, education and training programs, college/institute faculty, staff and administrators, funding, and partnerships.

Student Recruitment

• Student recruitment initiatives must begin with high school students early on, in Grade 8 or 9 to expose youth to career options early enough in high school so that they work towards obtaining the prerequisites required for targeted career paths.
• Student recruitment efforts should help to ensure that students are not set up for failure by being accepted into programs when they do not have the skills to succeed.