The Four Directions

In early January, ORIGIN travelled to Timmins to build capacity within Mushkegowuk Employment and Training and Moose Cree Employment and Training Unit. During our three days, we had employment counsellors and other key staff become certified in our First People First approach. Our First People First approach is an innovative and comprehensive assessment process that is used to pre-screen individuals for pre-training and employment to encourage success and retention in chosen training paths.

In December, ORIGIN travelled to Wiikwemkoong First Nation to deliver the Wake the Warrior certificate program. We worked with community members to discover natural skills and abilities; provide information and techniques on changing negative core beliefs to positive ones and how to align and apply our Grandfather Teachings with Ethics in the workplace, relating them to soft skills (that over 94% of employers are looking for) inline with work readiness.

ORIGIN joined the Ministry of Mines on a trip to Marten Falls where our team spent time introducing mining experiences in VR to youth and community members using our ImmersiveLink Career Exploration Tool. One thing ORIGIN can do best, is get people out to community events! Our unique technology and innovative approaches always draw a crowd!

As part of our Indigenous Perspectives project (focused on storytelling in VR), ORIGIN youth have been participating in a Truth and Reconciliation education program, in which they are learning about the past, present, and future of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Currently, our youth are working on a totem pole, representing the first ceremony forbidden during colonization, the Potlatch ceremony. The group consists of youth from our 360 video boot camp we hosted last summer.

ORIGIN has been working with Big Grassy First Nation to create a Skills Inventory for the community. The intent is to create an informed training plan for both Ontario Works and employment offices to administer over the next year. This inventory takes a deep dive on the community, identities gaps and opportunities for employment through traditional routes as well as social enterprise and entrepreneurship that can provide jobs for those who are best suited to stay and work in-community for community.

Helping job seekers build their job search skills is what we did when visiting Eabametoong First Nation in late January. Our hands-on interactive workshop engages job seekers to learn how to build their resumes based on their natural skills and abilities as well as learning skills achieved in employment opportunities. The workshop also introduces interview skills and practice sessions, so once they get the interview they are prepared and confident to move forward!