On National Indigenous People’s Day, EllisDon announced its ALLiED  (ALL inclusive at EllisDon) outreach team is focused on expanding opportunities for Indigenous people across Canada within the construction industry and has spent the last six months developing a model for Indigenous apprenticeships in Alberta.

The company said that this model can be fine-tuned and launched in other areas across Canada where EllisDon can offer opportunities for the same growth and learning with their Indigenous partners.

Hector Saldivida, senior health, safety and environmental co-ordinator, is leading the project team which includes Willow Spring Construction general manager Tom Chisholm, operations manager Cory Raketti, safety director Craig Wiltse, business process manager Mirela Cupovic and others.

They have created relationships with both educators and Indigenous leaders to start a program of education and support, leading to meaningful work for many Indigenous communities that otherwise would not have had access to these careers.

The program has received endorsement from Genevieve A. Fox, education director of the Blackfoot Confederacy Nation in Alberta.

With this endorsement, EllisDon hopes ALLiED will continue to forge both Indigenous and educational relationships that will allow the Indigenous apprenticeships program to flourish beyond the borders of Alberta, into other markets to impact the lives of these communities with the hope of creating meaningful careers in the industry.