Inuktitut speakers get access to free communications training course

Inuktitut speakers can access an online media training course for free through Ottawa-based communications training firm Trustmakers.

John McKay, managing partner at Trustmakers, which has worked across Canada’s North for more than a decade, announced the move in February at the Aqsarniit Tradeshow and Conference in Ottawa.

McKay pointed to a growing demand for these training opportunities.

“Governments and public sector organizations have been struggling to meet Inuit and other Indigenous employment targets,” he said in an interview.

“We understand and have heard that there’s a need for more professional development opportunities for Inuit in their own language.”

The Inuktitut version of the online course, which was previously available for $595 per participant, can now be accessed without an account or payment through the Trustmakers website.

The training consists of nine self-directed modules, including 11 short video exercises, and guidance on conducting and evaluating practice sessions.

The course covers the rules of the game for spokespeople and public sector organizations, particularly non-profit organizations.

It also explains what guides reporters in their work, what rules they operate under, and how media interactions between spokespeople and reporters do not have to be “adversarial.”

“Destroying trust in media relations seems to have been a common practice,” McKay said.

“Without trust, you’re dead in the water.” 

McKay said his company steers participants towards an open approach to media relations. It’s a diversion from what he described as more “outdated” practices.

“We totally reject the old-school 1960s Mad Men approach to media relations — spin, manipulation, evasion, deflection,” he said.

Trustmakers has delivered media training in collaboration with the Government of Nunavut, federal organizations such as Parks Canada and the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board.

McKay said he hopes to work with postsecondary institutions such as the Nunavut Arctic College and the new Inuit Nunangat University to expand access to professional development in media and communications.

He also said there has also been unexpected interest in the course from non-profit organizations working with youth.

The company also offers live workshops in English and French, conducted via videoconference from Trustmakers’ Learning and Media Production Centre in Ottawa.

While Trustmakers has previously conducted workshops in Inuktitut, McKay said his staff are actively seeking new partnerships to expand the new offering.

He also said he welcomes feedback on the Inuktitut course content, including exercises and podcasts, to ensure it meets the needs of those using it.