Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Studies

The Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business

Studies promotes interest among Canada’s

Aboriginal people in the study of business at the

post-secondary level, while undertaking pure and

applied research specific to Aboriginal communities.

 

Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Studies

“The Chair” is focusing its work in three areas:

1. Research on what “drives” success in Aboriginal

business:

• An examination of the Membertou Model

• An examination of best business practices in Unama’ki

• An examination of best business practices in Aboriginal

communities

Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Studies

“The Chair” is focusing its work in three areas:

2. National student recruitment for the study of Business in

Canadian universities

3. Enhancement of the Business curriculum to support

expanded access

Regional roundtable participation

28 students with representation from:

• 19 First Nation, Métis, and Inuit communities

• 9 provinces• 19 universities

Regional Roundtable Discussions

Some of the main points discussed were:

• The overall level of interest of Aboriginal students in business

•  Student perceptions of the importance of business and business leaders to communities

•  Student perceptions of barriers to the study of business at the University level

•  The enhancement of business curriculum with more Aboriginal content

Regional Roundtable Discussions

Some of the findings that emerged :

• Need for Aboriginal content in business education

• Issues of proximity and need for support structures

• Need for more knowledge regarding funding options

• Need for better university preparation

Roundtable Findings

The Research Behind the Program

• Canada’s Aboriginal population is growing six times faster than the non-Aboriginal population

• Almost half (48%) of Canada’s Aboriginal population is under the age of 25 • Nova Scotia has approximately 4.2% of the national Aboriginal population

(status and non-status First Nation peoples)• High school completion rates are lower with the Aboriginal high school

dropout rate being 60% for students living on a reserve and 43% for those living off-reserve

• 23% of Canada’s non-Aboriginal population received university degrees with less than seven per cent of Aboriginal Canadians graduating with a university degree

Why Business?

Chief Terry Paul summarized the importance of recruiting

young Aboriginals to the study of business as:

“This must be our future! Self reliance and

self governance will only come with economic

independence and the foundation for this is the

study of business.”

Aboriginal Youth Mentorship Programme

Business Network for Aboriginal Youth

• Mentorship program targeting Aboriginal high school students from Nova

Scotia

• Attract students to the study of Business

• Aims to enrich the lives of Aboriginal secondary students by helping to

manage the transition from high school to university business education

• Using BlackBerry technology the network links 30 Aboriginal high school

students from across Nova Scotia

Program Implementation

• Funding from the Province of Nova Scotia, Mi’kmaw Kina’matneway (MK), and the R Howard Webster Foundation

• Presentations at 28 high schools across Nova Scotia• 217 applicants in total• Advisory council made up of Elders and educators

was established• 7 Aboriginal business mentors

Business Network for Aboriginal Youth

• The program has representation from 12 of the 13 First Nation

communities in Nova Scotia as well as Métis and Inuit participants

• Students divided into the following groups: the Marketers, the Managers,

the Accountants, the Entrepreneurs, the Economists, and Tourism

• Students given the opportunity to interact with students and mentors from

other communities

• Participants engaged in challenges via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM)

• Youth conferences held in First Nation communities across Nova Scotia

Results from Year One

• 21 students completed all of the requirements and have graduated from year one of this pilot program

• 6 of these students were in grade 12 and have graduated from high school

• 4 of whom are now attending University• 2 of these 4 are studying business

Wela’lioq , Thank youwww.cbu.ca/crawford