Retaining Aboriginal employees in the workforce will require more than human resource policies; it will involve making systemic changes and finding creative ways to make the workplace comfortable. The EC cannot make the workplace accept anyone, but they can work to encourage the individual to adapt to the workplace culture and to understand the differences. INAC (1996) introduced the Aboriginal Workforce Participation Initiative and the backgrounder document provided a good description of the employment issues of Aboriginals:

Barriers to Aboriginal employment come in two categories, commonly referred to as systemic and attitudinal. Systemic barriers are issues such as human resource practices that inhibit the participation of Aboriginal people such as: pre-screening and/or assessment tools that are not culturally sensitive; dispute resolution mechanisms that are not inclusive; and job qualifications that do not reflect real employment requirements thereby limiting potential applicants. Attitudinal barriers are usually more overt. Misconceptions about Aboriginal people are based on stereotypes and a lack of information. In extreme cases, misconceptions can manifest themselves as discrimination and racism. In the workplace, these conditions can adversely impact Aboriginal employment and retention initiatives. (p. 2)

The profile of the client is astoundingly clear, and the job is a difficult one for the rural and northern EC.

An individual’s capacity for employment is looked at in Table 3, which presents the spiral steps from the point-of-view of the individual job seeker, pointing out the areas where they need more support. This is another overview for the EC, as they try to help their clients create a picture of their futures with a solid understanding of their past. Once again the levels in column three relate to SDi training from Dr Hamilton (personal communication, April 3, 2006). Dr Hamilton described the development of the individual in relationship to the spiral, “The developmental level of a person is a way of describing a person’s capacity. At any given level of development, or capacity a person will be equipped to respond to life conditions more or less appropriately” (personal conversation, November 21, 2006). McGovern and Jones (2004) were also an influence on columns three and four. Their report identified a comprehensive list of main barriers to employment that are strikingly similar to the early stages of growth in the spiral Several of the main barriers identified included: (a) personal and family problems, (b) low literacy, (c) poor social capital networks, (d) low self-esteem, (e) money, (f) safe affordable housing, and (g) child care (pp. v–vi).

I must also mention the impact of Abraham Maslow (1998) on the development of the individual Job Seeker spiral chart. Warren Bennis wrote the introduction to Maslow’s work and talked about Malsow’s dream that each man can become “the best himself … [and that] to give man ownership over his human potentials rather than have them arrogated by the temporal nonhuman institutions which at times science, business, and the church have been” (p. xii). Malsow’s dream is the task of the EC as the Aboriginal job seekers try to better themselves and reach their potential through productive employment.