The Indigenous Career Navigator Program is now available

June 21, 2024 - Defence Stories

Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day. For generations, many Indigenous groups and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or around the longest day of the year, also known as the Summer Solstice. On this day, we recognize and celebrate the heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis People.

To mark this important day, we are pleased to announce that the Department of National Defence (DND) is launching an Indigenous Career Navigator Program (ICNP) (accessible only on the National Defence network).

The ICNP is part of DND’s on-going efforts to promote reconciliation and renewal of its relationship with Indigenous Peoples. This program is in response to:

• The Many Voices One Mind: A Pathway to Reconciliation, which aims to offer Indigenous employees deliberate career management support; and
• The 2017 Indigenous Workforce Retention Survey, which indicated that not all Indigenous employees receive an acceptable level of support to meet career goals.

Through this program, Indigenous employees serve as Career Navigators to provide culturally relevant advice and guidance directly to Indigenous employees, assisting them with public service recruitment processes, providing information about HR programs and services, and helping them develop the knowledge they need to navigate their own career paths. Navigators will also assist managers seeking to recruit Indigenous Peoples and support existing employees with their career aspirations.

The ICNP is available to support DND Indigenous Public Service employees within DND, as well as Indigenous CAF members transitioning to the Public Service.

As the Defence Team Indigenous Peoples Co-Champions, we acknowledge the barriers that Indigenous employees continue to face in the workplace. These barriers range from systemic discrimination to a lack of meaningful representation and inclusion. The ICNP is intended to help address these issues, break down barriers, work to achieve true reconciliation and create a more inclusive and equitable Defence Team.

To connect with the Indigenous Career Navigators, please contact: IndigenousCareerNavigator-Navigateursdecarriereautochtones@forces.gc.ca

On National Indigenous Peoples Day, we encourage Defence Team members to learn more about Indigenous Peoples, their cultures, and their history. Only by understanding our traditions and respecting our differences we will create a workplace that values all contributions and a Defence Team that can only grow stronger as it embraces all our diverse, collective talents.

Defence Team Indigenous People Co-Champions