Photo courtesy mcrhealth.ca
A northern Saskatchewan health region is planning to have 50 per cent Aboriginal representation in its workforce by 2020.
The Mamawetan Churchill River Health Region passed the resolution at a recent board meeting.
In 2010, the region passed a similar motion to increase its 32 per cent Aboriginal representation by five per cent. Currently, 40 per cent of the health region’s employees self-identify as Aboriginal.
MCRHR CEO, Andrew McLetchie, says it is an important to continue to increase the target because 85 per cent of the people in the health region identify as Aboriginal.
“We are not even halfway at this point to having true representation in our Aboriginal workforce, but building toward that is important for the community,” says Mcletchie. “We want to make sure the people we are serving in the health region feel the care we provide is reflecting their needs.”
McLetchie says there are several benefits to having a stronger Aboriginal presence in their workforce, including an opportunity to provide services in traditional Indigenous languages.
“I think that is another reason why we really want to try and recruit a great percentage of an Aboriginal workforce, is that we can provide better services and if possible provide the services in the language of their choice,” says McLetchie.
The health region plans to increase recruitment by using local education programs, as well as developing internal programs to better develop skills for new hires.
“Obviously we have some work to do, but we are looking forward to it.”
According to data from Health Saskatchewan self-identified Aboriginal employees make up 6.2% of the workforce across the province’s health regions.