Holistic Approach to Economic Capacity Building

 

Wholistic or holistic-the struggle!

We are often asked what development approach to our inclusion and engagement network we embraced. Often, we used the words wholistic and holistic interchangeably!
But we were wrong! The correct term to describe our approach to economic capacity building is in fact “holistic”. When did the preverbal light go off? Like many of you, I suspect, when challenged to use a word in its proper context, go to the dictionary!

The word holistic is connected to holism, which focuses on the total entity and the interdependence of the diverse parts of this totality.

Such is the case when we speak about the economy. Its interdependence of the diverse sum of all its parts! This is truer in an Indigenous community than any other I have seen. 

The economic platform must start with jobs, job creation and the impact sustainable employment has on a family and community. Income is, as we have stated many times, in our opinion is the single most important social determinant of health. Healthy families create healthy communities. 

So, there are some facts worthy of repeating: Indigenous youth is the fastest-growing demographic in Canada. In fact, a recent study shows that by 2027 we will have close to 1 million indigenous youth! This is an incredible opportunity! Here’s another interesting fact. In Ontario alone, there is a labour shortage of 250,000 people! 

So, here’s the deal- ITFC has made it possible for companies, especially construction companies, associations, the resource industry, or anyone else for that matter to post a job and we will push it out to communities and become your HR specialist! Beyond your membership fee, we won’t charge you a dime! Job opportunities do not have to be “on reserve” believe it or not we have heard that from companies before!

Procurement –

So very important and on so many levels! Some companies are very familiar with Indigenous procurement practices and they don’t want to tell anyone! Seriously there are those who have benefited from restrictive policies and practices that have been forced upon Indigenous communities for decades! Things like – rapid response time on funding envelopes force communities to get the “three mandatory” quotes in order to proceed with a project within a specific time frame. Policies whereby an independent “authority” gets to decide whether or not a community has the capacity to fulfil the scope of work expected on a procurement opportunity within their community or traditional territory!
The ITFC economic inclusion network recognizes all types of Indigenous procurement and connects buyers and sellers in a hassle-free environment.

 If the federal government lies up to its commitment to ensuring that 5% of government spending includes Indigenous communities, their people, and businesses, procurement platforms like ITFC will be a critical part of the strategic economic growth plan of all Canadian companies.

These are two critically important features of the ITFC inclusion network, to learn more book a spot here and select your topic of interest and discover the real holistic capacity-building efforts of the ITFC economic inclusion network.

Article originally posted on: Holistic Approach to Economic Capacity Building

Indigenous Businesses in Canada are more Vulnerable in Crisis

Indigenous Businesses in Canada are more Vulnerable in Crisis. Three years later...

Canada’s response has brought many issues to the forefront that have plagued our nation for decades. Recent financial support to Indigenous businesses in Canada highlights this fact alone, but let’s make one thing very clear:

Indigenous businesses in Canada are more vulnerable in crisis, compared to those of us born into privilege, austerity, and security from all levels of the Canadian economy, but you know this and so does It’s Time for Change (ITFC).

We didn’t need a pandemic to realize that fostering a robust Indigenous business sector, capable of creating sustainable economic opportunities, is for each and every one of our best interests. Canada has an unlimited amount of resources available to not only rebuild our economy post-pandemic but can evolve past nation-wide discrepancies.

The importance of Indigenous business communities and the engagement thereof is not new; in fact, the Globe & Mail (an article from 3 years ago!) made this exact same argument. Related to greater resources to support Indigenous business owners, the survey found that:

“73% of Canadians want the private sector to step up to help Indigenous entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level; 81% agree that corporations should include Indigenous businesses in their supplier networks whenever possible.”

So what are we waiting for Canada? The time is now to pave the way for new and emerging ideas to build sustainable opportunities that every Canadian will feel the positive impact of!

Let’s make this a priority, folks!

Canada’s private sector needs to prioritize Indigenous entrepreneurs. Our experience is that everyone benefits when business strategies are based on inclusiveness.

Many corporations are already engaged in supporting Indigenous businesses as a matter of policy. These initiatives are impressive and impactful. But broader efforts are needed. The fact that a large majority of Canadians want Indigenous entrepreneurs to succeed also sends an important message of hope and fuels our optimism.

How do we make this happen?

Three years after the Globe and Mail article we are still trying to find a pathway to inclusion and engagement.  Programs like the one announced on June 11th to help Main Street businesses in Southern Ontario should not be restricted to a specific region.  Indigenous businesses will benefit from initiatives like this even more due to their remoteness.

ITFC provides functional tools that will help all businesses build a brighter and more sustainable future with the assistance of our platform.

We have waited long enough, let’s make the next three years count!

It's Time For Change.