August 2015

ABORIGINAL MARKET
MONTHLY
Aboriginal Labour Market Newsletter

Supporting PostSecondary
Education

The fall semester is coming

quickly. Currently there are
millions of dollars in
scholarships and bursaries
available to Aboriginal postsecondary students.
From universities to non-profit
organizations, there are
hundreds of institutions and
companies currently helping
Aboriginal students with
financial aid.
For a comprehensive list of
organizations offering
scholarships to Aboriginal
students, click this link: http://
bit.ly/1fnzzQi.
For the JEDI/Brunway Bursary
click: http://bit.ly/1KxMIyZ.

Advancing Aboriginal Education

While education has been an historical challenge for
Aboriginal people entering the workforce, the gap between
Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal educational attainment is
closing. If this trend continues it will result in better labour
market outcomes for Aboriginals in NB.
NB Aboriginal University Education
Comparison, 2006-2011
9%

9%

7%
5%

6%

2%
0%

2006

2011

Source: Statistics Canada, 2011

Aboriginal Market Monthly

August 2015

Educational attainment is also improving for high school

completion. This improvement is noteworthy, however
significant gaps remain between Aboriginal and nonAboriginal educational attainment.

New Brunswick and the rest of Canada

Did You Know?

Research shows that quality
career education results in
numerous economic and social
benefits, including:
increased educational
attainment;
increased worker productivity;
increased health;
decreased dependence on
social services;
decreased criminal
involvement; and,
increased tax revenues.
Together, a 1% increase in
government revenues and
productivity and a 1% decrease in
social costs represents over a $20
billion annual windfall for
Canadian individuals[T]o put
this staggering number in
perspective, this would cover the
salaries of over 250,000
additional teachers (CCDF,
2015).
While the economic impact is
important to consider, of greater
importance is the mental and
emotional benefit to individuals
who find themselves in a
satisfying career.
Aboriginal Market Monthly

In July, gains in full-time employment (4,500 jobs) were

oset by a decrease in part-time jobs (5,200). This resulted
in a 11% unemployment rate in NB, compared to 6.8%
nationally (Statistics Canada, 2015).

Career Education in Atlantic Canada

Career education helps people to understand the current
labour market and builds knowledge to make informed
career decisions. It has been proven to reduce high school
drop-out rates and increase student achievements (The
Canadian Career Development Foundation, 2015).
In a report submitted to the Council of Atlantic Ministers
of Education and Training (CAMET), the Canadian Career
Development Foundation (CCDF) makes a strong case for
career education for the benefit and retention of Atlantic
Canadian youth.
Given the disparity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal
high school completion rates in NB, this research could
indicate that career education will help narrow that gap.
Population with less than high school, 2011
35%
26%
18%

34.5%
24.6%

9%
0%

Aboriginal
Non-Aboriginal
Source: Statistics Canada, 2011

You can find the full report from the CCDF here:
http://bit.ly/1TRSHDM.
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