MLA decries low number of Inuit managers at Nunavut power utility

Tununiq MLA Joe Enook says the Qulliq Energy Corp. doesn’t hire enough Inuit in middle and senior management jobs. (FILE PHOTO)

Inuit representation within the Government of Nunavut’s workforce is unevenly distributed, with many more beneficiaries working lower-paying jobs than higher-paying jobs.

And that might be most apparent at the Qulliq Energy Corp., where a meagre two of 29 middle and senior management jobs are filled by beneficiaries, Tununiq MLA Joe Enook told MLAs Nov. 2 in the Nunavut legislature.

As Nunavut MLAs entered their third week of their 2015 fall sitting, Enook took QEC minister Keith Peterson to task on the energy company’s low Inuit representation numbers.

“It’s perfectly clear to me that the [QEC] needs to be significantly more aggressive in promoting Inuit employment. Does the minister agree?” Enook asked.

“I have met with the [energy company’s] board of directors on three or four occasions and every time we’ve discussed that… there should be more Inuit employment encouraged through internal programs and training,” Peterson replied.

“We are actively encouraging Inuit employees to look at QEC as a place to begin or continue their career.”

Under Article 23 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, the GN is obligated work towards a “representative level” of Inuit, reflecting the ratio of beneficiaries to non-beneficiaries in the territory.

That population ratio currently sits at about 85 per cent of beneficiaries to 15 per cent non-Inuit.

In its most recent data, released in December 2014, the GN revealed that its current workforce of roughly 4,500 employees comprises roughly 50 per cent Inuit — up from 44 per cent in 1999.

But Inuit employed by the GN are not evenly represented across different types of jobs: beneficiaries fill about 24 per cent of middle management positions and about 21 per cent of senior management jobs.

By contrast, 88 per cent of administrative jobs are held by beneficiaries.

In the assembly, Enook pressed Peterson for a “clear explanation as to why the QEC has such low number of Inuit beneficiary employees in management positions.”

“I can’t provide a clear explanation,” Peterson replied.

“People can pursue career opportunities at QEC… When management positions are opened, they’re advertised.”

In the energy company’s current corporate plan, its Inuit Leadership Development Program aims to “increase employment” for Inuit “at the professional, management and senior management levels,” Enook said, quoting the corporate plan.

“Can [the minister] confirm how many participants are currently enrolled in this program as of today?” Enook asked as his final supplementary question.

“I believe there are at least two Inuit beneficiary employees in that program,” Peterson said.