Canada’s skilled trades and STEM sectors face a significant workforce transition. Over 700,000 skilled trades workers are expected to retire by 2028. At the same time, Indigenous peoples are the fastest-growing demographic in the country, with the Indigenous youth population growing at four times the rate of the non-Indigenous population. RBC Economics has identified Indigenous communities as the single most significant available domestic workforce pipeline for the trades. The opportunity is real, and so is the momentum behind it.
What the Data Tells Us
Statistics Canada’s longitudinal study of Indigenous journeypersons (2008–2017) found that when Indigenous peoples entered the trades, they were more likely than non-Indigenous counterparts to pursue higher-paying Red Seal trades. Indigenous male managers are more likely than their non-Indigenous counterparts to hold middle management positions in trades, transportation, production and utilities — 53.8% compared to 39.2%. Indigenous peoples are already contributing meaningfully to these sectors.
The gap that remains is one of access, recognition, and retention — not potential. Less than 2% of workers in STEM occupations are Indigenous, despite Indigenous peoples representing over 5% of the national population. Between 2016 and 2026, 350,000 Indigenous youth reached workforce entry age — a cohort whose economic potential is estimated at $27.7 billion in annual contribution to Canada when supported with quality, targeted skills training. The pipeline is here. The question is whether the systems are ready to meet it.
Lessons from Alberta: What Works
In 2006, the Aboriginal Human Resource Council — now Indigenous Works — convened Workforce Connex Alberta, bringing together private sector employers and Aboriginal organizations to build the partnerships needed to connect Indigenous workers to industry. That work helped establish the foundation for what followed.
When the Government of Alberta launched the First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Workforce Planning Initiative in 2008, the engagement was substantive: government-to-government meetings with First Nations and Métis leaders, urban Indigenous dialogues, and direct consultations with employers, industry, training providers, and educational institutions. The resulting 2010 report, “Connecting the Dots: Aboriginal Workforce and Economic Development in Alberta,” produced 30 recommendations. The Government of Alberta accepted 28 outright.
What those recommendations confirmed — and what programs like Trade Winds to Success have demonstrated over more than two decades of operation — is a consistent set of principles: Indigenous-led delivery works. Community-based training works. Industry partnerships built on genuine relationships work. The lessons from that era are operational and replicable.
The landscape has shifted in important ways since 2009. Reconciliation is now a recognized frame for business and policy decisions in a way it was not then. The adoption of UNDRIP into Canadian law, the growth of Indigenous procurement commitments across the federal government and major industry sectors, and the increasing number of Indigenous communities negotiating equity positions in major projects all reflect a materially different environment. The conversation has expanded from workforce participation to economic ownership. What has not changed is the underlying principle: the most effective outcomes come from Indigenous-led approaches, genuine industry commitment, and sustained investment — not short-term programming.
Beyond Employment: Joint Ventures, Equity, and Shared Prosperity
Workforce participation is one part of the equation. The fuller picture is economic partnership. Across Canada’s skilled trades and STEM sectors — construction, energy, infrastructure, natural resources, clean technology — major projects are proceeding on or near Indigenous territories. The question of who works on those projects is important. The question of who owns a share of them is equally important and increasingly central to how reconciliation is understood in a business context.
Joint ventures and equity partnerships between Indigenous communities and industry are not new, but they are accelerating. The 2024 National Indigenous Economic Development Board report highlights ownership and equity participation as central to the next stage of Indigenous economic advancement — moving beyond employment programs toward shared prosperity models where communities hold real economic stakes in the projects affecting their territories. Organizations that approach Indigenous engagement only as a workforce or procurement exercise are operating with an incomplete framework.
The workforce piece and the ownership piece are connected. Communities that have equity stakes in projects have a direct interest in ensuring their members are trained, employed, and advancing within those projects. We support organizations in navigating both — from workforce inclusion through to the partnership and equity discussions that increasingly accompany major project development.
What This Means for Employers and Communities Today
For employers in skilled trades and STEM, the path forward is clearer than it has ever been. We work directly with organizations to build the internal capacity and relationships needed to recruit, retain, and advance Indigenous workers.
Reconciliation Action Plans - We develop RAPs that set specific, measurable targets for Indigenous employment and advancement — working documents tied to organizational accountability, not general statements of intent.
Employer of Choice Certification - A structured framework and nationally recognized standard for Indigenous inclusion in the workplace, giving organizations a clear roadmap and a credible designation that Indigenous job seekers and communities recognize.
Leadership Circle Membership - A national employer network that connects organizations with Indigenous workforce expertise, peer learning, and direct relationships with Indigenous communities and talent pipelines.
Join the Conversation — March 26 Webinar
We are hosting a webinar on March 26, 2026, focused on Indigenous pathways in the skilled trades. We are joined by guest speakers from AETS and an Indigenous Works Employer of Choice — organizations doing this work on the ground and willing to speak directly to what is working, what employers need to do differently, and where the real opportunities are for communities and industry alike.
If you are an employer, a community organization, a training provider, or a policymaker working in or adjacent to the skilled trades and STEM sectors, this conversation is relevant to you. Registration details are available at iworks.org
Where We Go from Here
The groundwork laid in Alberta in 2006 and 2009 demonstrated what is possible when government, industry, and Indigenous organizations work together toward a shared goal. We carry that work forward nationally, with over 25 years of experience in Indigenous workforce development, employer engagement, and community partnership.
The labour market need is urgent. The Indigenous workforce is ready. The business case for equity partnership is established. We are here to help organizations move forward on all of it.
If your organization is ready to build or strengthen its approach to Indigenous workforce inclusion, joint venture development, or equity partnership in skilled trades or STEM, connect with us at iworks.org
Sources
Statistics Canada (2023). Labour market outcomes of Indigenous journeypersons in Canada, 2008–2017. Catalogue no. 81-595-M.
Statistics Canada (2024). Quality of employment among First Nations people living off reserve and Métis, 2022. The Daily, April 30, 2024.
RBC Economics (2021). Powering Up: Preparing Canada’s skilled trades for a post-pandemic economy.
BuildForce Canada (2024). Indigenous Opportunities in Construction.
Government of Alberta (2010). Connecting the Dots: Aboriginal Workforce and Economic Development in Alberta. Report of the MLA Committee on the FNMI Workforce Planning Initiative.
Aboriginal Human Resource Council (2006). Workforce Connex Alberta: Building Strong Private Sector and Aboriginal Partnerships.
National Indigenous Economic Development Board (2024). 2024 Indigenous Economic Progress Report.
Government of Canada (2024). Labour Shortages. Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM), November 25, 2024.
Indigenous Corporate Training Inc. (2025). Higher Rates of Unemployment — Key Issues.
Trade Winds to Success Training Society (2025). tradewindstosuccess.ca.