Women Building Futures: Helping Indigenous women transform their lives

by Women Building Futures

(ANNews) – Women Building Futures is a registered non-profit based in Edmonton, Alberta. We offer programs and support services to help unemployed and underemployed women explore and connect to careers that pay above a living wage. Careers that not only support their own security but often that of their children. Our graduates work in careers that provide them with higher earnings and a rewarding, fulfilling future that positively impacts their families and communities.

We acknowledge our organization is located on Treaty 6 Territory and we have programs delivered across Treaty 6, Treaty 7, and Treaty 8 in Alberta. In our commitment to truth and reconciliation, we have prioritized Indigenous supports for our prospective students and graduates.

WBF is committed to helping Indigenous women achieve economic security. In 2020, 24% of WBF grads were Indigenous. Of those students, 97% graduated from their programs, and went on to earn an average of 2.5X more income.

We spoke with Jaynine McCrae, our Manager of Community and Indigenous Relations, about her role and what Women Building Futures is doing to support more Indigenous women into our programs.

What past experiences prepared you for your current role? 

I am an Inuk with a background in Territorial Government and 10 years of experience in the Mining and Construction industries. My belief is that women can be independent, role models and trailblazers.

When I look back on my own history, I recall being one of few women in the various mining camps that I was working at, and one of few Indigenous people. I firmly believe Indigenous women and youth should be encouraged to enter these worksites.

Can you share a brief overview of what the Community Indigenous Relations team does?

Our team offers tailored supports and coaching for Indigenous women to explore new career paths and succeed in our programs. We understand the additional barriers they face to training and employment. The work our team does to engage with and support Indigenous communities and women across the province is very rewarding.

What supports can Women Building Futures offer to Indigenous women?

The support services we offer really set us apart from other organizations. We recognize many of our students face barriers to training. Many of our prospective students come from vulnerable populations, are unemployed or underemployed and are single parents.

We offer affordable and safe housing, income support during training, tuition funding, access to affordable childcare, coaching, training, employment support, and free readiness workshops to help women get the training they need to get a job that enables them to provide for themselves and their families. Our Tools for Success workshop is rooted in traditional Indigenous teachings and incorporates the medicine wheel to prepare the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of beginning a new journey.

Our range of supports is extensive, and we assess each case on an individual basis. The best way to get started is to contact our Community Indigenous Relations department.

Are you an Indigenous woman looking for support in your employment search?

Connect with our Indigenous & Community Relations team today [email protected]