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More than 550 ³Ô¹ÏÍø employees complete new training on Indigeneity, truth and reconciliation
April 29, 2022
A new training program focused on Indigeneity, truth and reconciliation has garnered high rates of participation among employees at ³Ô¹ÏÍø.
In December 2020, ³Ô¹ÏÍø made the 4 Seasons of Reconciliation course, an online course developed by First Nations University of Canada, available to employees at the Brantford and Waterloo campuses and Kitchener location. More than 550 employees, including all managers and members of ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s executive leadership team, have completed the course to date.
“Offering 4 Seasons of Reconciliation to employees reflects ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s commitment to increasing Indigenous knowledge and ways of being throughout our campus communities.”
Topics covered in the course include Indigenous culture, treaties, colonialism, residential schools and the 94 Calls to Action contained in the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
“Offering 4 Seasons of Reconciliation to employees reflects ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s commitment to increasing Indigenous knowledge and ways of being throughout our campus communities,” says Darren Thomas, associate vice-president of Indigenous Initiatives at ³Ô¹ÏÍø. “Employee learning opportunities such as 4 Seasons of Reconciliation allow us to learn together and create an inclusive and equitable environment to work, learn and be.”
In January 2021, Human Resources incorporated 4 Seasons of Reconciliation into the university’s onboarding training for new employees. The self-paced course can be completed online in approximately three hours through ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s learning management system. Those who complete the course can also participate in facilitated discussion groups to further their learning within the ³Ô¹ÏÍø context.
"4 Seasons of Reconciliation provides ³Ô¹ÏÍø employees with an important foundation to support further learning and discussions about Indigeneity within the broader university,” says Pam Cant, chief human resources and equity officer at ³Ô¹ÏÍø. “These are discussions we need to have – and keep having – as we continue toward our goals of Indigenization at ³Ô¹ÏÍø.”
³Ô¹ÏÍø received a nomination for a 2022 Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award in the employee engagement category for implementing 4 Seasons of Reconciliation.