Akwesasne Labor Market Study Enters Second Phase

The Akwesasne Labor Market Information Study (ALMIS) is a comprehensive project sponsored by the Akwesasne Area Management Board (AAMB). The study is being conducted with community participation and completed through a survey format. AAMB designed this project to collect data on a range of labor issues, such as labor turnover, hard to fill positions, recruitment difficulties, and current and future skill shortages.

The goal of the ALMIS process is to "support and strengthen Akwesasne's Labor Market. Strengthening opportunities and promote economic prosperity for Akwesasne. ALMIS provides local training organizations, educators, businesses, and community members with valuable insights into local skills and workforce needs."

In 2015, AAMB completed their first survey Labor Market Study. This involved partnerships with several agencies to conduct a survey of individuals and employers within Akwesasne.

AAMB is completing its second phase of the survey – ALMIS first surveyed employees and now focus their attention on 'employers' looking for statistics on Akwesasne's present and anticipated work skills, wants and needs. They are looking for information to build a concrete database for use in future local projects and programs. In gathering data they would know resources, business expansions, proper human resources, proper training, the median age of the labor market, the labor market in 5, 10, 15 and in 20 years. For example, what will the entering labor market be in five years.

The data collected is for the use of Akwesasne – small and large businesses, established and new entrepreneurs, and for future programs and projects. Currently the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe and Mohawk Council of Akwesasne Department of Tehotiiennawakon use this information in developing projects and programs for the community of Akwesasne.

Russell Roundpoint, AAMB Executive Director, stated, "How many homes are we going to be building in the near future? The Labor Market Information study will give you the information that you will need. The guesswork is really taken out so that we can properly train people in positions to take advantage of opportunities that come about. Without it we will continue like we were in the eighties and nineties guessing about what we need and how to get to where we want to be.

The world is all about statistics; when you make an application they (i.e. goverments) want to know what is happening and why you need this money. In previous years we would answer their questions and they would ask – what's your proof? We didn't have it and now we have it. We are in a much better position to make stronger arguments as to why we need certain things to happen.

The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe and TEEEE use this data for their planning forecast to help. As well, executive service branches from both would have the opportunity to use what ALMIS produces as they move forward. Simple things like calculating how big a local school needs to be - they can look at demographical data available elsewhere but in order to build that school – does Akwesasne have the proper people in order build the school? This is where ALMIS will gather solid data.

The important step in gathering data lies with Akwesasne's employers. Roundpoint stated, "Only if the employers come and do their share. I can't stress enough how important the employee/ individual worker has responded – they have surpassed the expected number of responses. So far, the employer side is below what we thought would gather.

ALMIS is wrapping everything up by the end of February, they will group everything, do an analysis and write a final report, finishing everything by the end of March 2018.

Roundpoint stated again, "We are doing everything they can to make it as easy as possible for the employer to complete their part of the survey. It would take half hour – maybe forty-five minutes to complete. But the returns for them - you can't really measure – because so much information will come out of what we are doing".

"You need to plan to succeed"

By participating in this the employer is putting information in and later taking out what you need from this study. The higher the sample size – the more people will respond, the better the data.

Interestingly, Akwesasne has a very large and very young population. ALMIS will be able to safely calculate how many baby boomers will exit the labor market and how many people will enter into the labor market.

Roundpoint stated, "We have more people coming into the labor market than those leaving. More people looking for jobs and fewer jobs available. If you don't make jobs available then that presents problems on the social side. We have a lot of young people they will need services, schools, housing, jobs. Do we have the people here trained and ready to provide services?

Also, there are more females than males in the community. There should be as many or more jobs open to them. There should be no limitation to what they want to be. Let's open the doors as wide as they can go. Let's give all the opportunities to anyone and try to help them get to that."

Another area of interest is the need for 'soft skills'. Increasingly young people lack good 'soft skills; the abilty to communicate person to person, arrive to work on time, take directions, etc.

Roundpoint added, "Surprising that is being reported – 'unable to communicate face to face'; conversation a lost art. To be polite and intelligent. Now what the employer is telling us is younger people are having a problem with this. Once a person has a job but not defending that job. Like showing up on time, reporting, communicating well."

Community Futures Development Corp in Cornwall provided a grant to conduct the ALMIS survey and this may be a model for other First Nations. Support for the grand prize was provided by MCA Economic Development and Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Economic Development.

Employers can find the survey at http://www.surevymonkey.com/r/ALMISE/201718