As an Aboriginal Skills Navigator in B.C., helping First Nations members overcome barriers to skills training and access family-supporting jobs is something Gloria Catherall is passionate about. 

A member of the Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan and a long-time resident of Prince George, Gloria is a graduate of Royal Roads University with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree. She also holds a Business Administration Diploma in Marketing & Management from the College of New Caledonia.

Gloria has a long history in the delivery of training-to-employment programs and economic development and has enjoyed years of success working to build capacity for First Nations.  She’s a certified essential skills instructor and has an exceptionally strong background in job coaching.  Today, as an Aboriginal Skills Navigator with the New Relationship Trust, she provides those services to 10 First Nations communities in northern B.C. 

Gloria understands the challenges many First Nations face – especially those in remote areas of the North—in accessing skills training programs.

 “Travel is one of the greatest barriers to training for some of the remote First Nations,” says Gloria. “So a big part of my job involves going to communities to hear one-on-one what their training needs are and how to best access or provide that training.” 

Essential skills upgrading leading to jobs is a high priority for the First Nations Gloria serves.  This includes improving literacy and numeracy skills to enable First Nations members to qualify for future employment opportunities by earning credentials in areas such as traffic control, driver training and environmental monitoring.  

“The foundation to future success is building up the essential skills in First Nations communities,” says Gloria.  “It’s an important stepping stone and a decent level of academic skills in communities provides a strong base for more advanced training leading to jobs.” 

Gloria is also working with First Nations communities and post-secondary organizations to develop greater access to foundational trades training and as well as exploration courses that can help prepare the way to college-level trades training. 

Like all of the Aboriginal Skills Navigators, Gloria takes great pride in the job she is doing.

“The best thing about the kind of work I do is the sense of accomplishment you get when you help people get the training they need to find jobs.  Over the years, I still run into people I’ve helped and it’s very satisfying to see they are still working and learning.”

Introduced in January, the Aboriginal Labour Market Community Navigators project is designed to support more Aboriginal people in B.C. in with skills training and related job opportunities—especially in BC’s growing resource sector. The program is receiving $3.5 million in funding over the next three years. 

The funds are being provided by the federal government to the New Relationship Trust which manages the program. Through it, seven navigators and one coordinator are helping Aboriginal people gain better access to training and jobs in growing industrial sectors.

In conjunction with B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint, it is anticipated that Gloria and the other Navigators will provide services to nearly 50 First Nations communities annually.

The growing resource sector is expected to be a powerful job generator throughout northern B.C. and the areas Gloria works.  Through the development of B.C.’s resource sector, First Nations, rural and remote communities will benefit directly from the creation of thousands of well-paying jobs close to home.