Anishinabek Employment and Training Services set to deliver message on Indigenous workplace inclusion in unique way

By Rick Garrick

THUNDER BAY — Anishinabek Employment and Training Services (AETS) is planning to use improv comedy during a free virtual professional workshop to inspire organizations to improve their Indigenous workplace inclusion practices on March 25. Presented in partnership with Indigenous Works and Magnus Theatre Company Northwest, the workshop features Tonto’s Nephews, an all-Indigenous troupe of professional actors, writers and comedians.

“We’ll be using REMO and ZOOM, so it doesn’t matter if the individual is in Thunder Bay or further across Northern Ontario or even beyond,” says John DeGiacomo, executive director at AETS. “Because we are working with First Nation citizens that are in the Northern Superior Region, we have over 50 employers already registered but we’re hoping for more that are in this region that might be interested in the topic.”

DeGiacomo says AETS is looking to use innovative and upbeat approaches for delivering workplace education programs due to the number of virtual meetings that people have been attending during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“We want to have a more fun way of doing business so what we thought about is a new engaging and artistic approach that addresses this important Indigenous workplace inclusion topic but through the voices and hearts of Indigenous comedians,” DeGiacomo says. “So it’s a very unique approach that we think will help in delivering the message.”

DeGiacomo says organizations for the most part understand that diversity in the workplace makes good business sense.

“But what organizations need to appreciate even more is that the more diverse they are, they’re eight times more likely to achieve better business outcomes, generate and foster fresh insights, new ideas, creative solutions,” DeGiacomo says. “So I think this will add to that thought, that effective diversity inclusion strategies can help organizations advance their goals.”

DeGiacomo adds that ensuring workplaces are diverse, inclusive and promote career growth for Indigenous peoples must be a priority.

“The Indigenous population is young and growing, and is largely an untapped resource for staffing with up to a 31 per cent unemployment rate,” DeGiacomo says. “AETS believes that hiring and enabling Indigenous peoples in the workplace is essential to our region and country’s future economic success. It also provides an opportunity for employers to contribute meaningfully to reconciliation.”

The workshop is designed to explore where organizations fall on the Indigenous Inclusion Continuum, an enterprise-wide Workplace Inclusion System designed by Indigenous Works to help organizations diagnose what organizational competencies are needed to achieve increased engagement and relationships with Indigenous peoples, businesses and organizations.

“In some Indigenous teachings, humour is considered a medicine, a medicine that can help us be more open, vulnerable and transparent to deal with difficult issues and subjects,” says Kelly Lendsay, president and CEO at Indigenous Works. “Significant barriers continue to exist when it comes to the hiring, retention and advancement of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Indigenous inclusion in the workplace is a crucial part of creating more welcoming and diverse workplaces. This event will inspire business leaders and professionals to review their own workplace practices and strategies to inspire change and new era of workplace inclusion.”

The workshop includes a Pre-Show networking event sponsored by the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce and a Main Show event hosted by Magnus Theatre Company Northwest.

“Magnus Theatre is thrilled to be a part of this event and to work with AETS to bring the incomparable Tonto’s Nephews to Thunder Bay to explore this important topic,” says Thom Currie, artistic director at Magnus Theatre. “Using comedy to highlight important parts of a crucial conversation is what theatre is all about, and we are thrilled to have been invited.”