Secondly, I felt it was critical to understand that the EC must look at multiple elements affecting the job seeker as they try to move forward and understand how these elements work together. The Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres (2005) published a report on literacy as a barrier to employment. This report explained the relationship of foundational skills to success for Aboriginals and their communities. The report explained, “In fact, literacy is connected to some of the key challenges our communities and society face at this point in time: employment, poverty, further or higher education, health, child and family well being, as well as many other socio-cultural issues” (p. 6). The EC in this situation simply must examine a much broader perspective of limiting factors to help the Aboriginal job seeker succeed.

Kiesling’s (2001) article also described how Beck and Cowan expanded Graves’ work and added the colours and spiral dimension: “The spirals nest together like Russian dolls: We don’t leave one stage for another; instead, each new spiral envelops all those levels that were already there” (Beck, as cited in Kiesling, p. 56).

Personal Growth through Employment

Employment is a key link to a person’s human development, as it helps them to be productive members of society. Development of workers for the labour market goes as far back as the early 1800s as seen in Robert Owen’s (1816/2002) writings. Owen, a social and educational reformer, used his own factories as examples of how to fairly treat and educate workers. Owen believed that the effects of their environment form a person’s character; he was convinced that if he created the right environment, he could produce rational, good and humane people.

Train any population rationally, and they will be rational. Furnish honest and useful employments to those so trained, and such employments they will greatly prefer to dishonest or injurious occupations. It is beyond all calculation the interest of every government to provide that training and that employment; and to provide both is easily practicable. (¶ 15)