The participation rate of the Indigenous workforce in the mining industry is significantly lower than that of non-Indigenous people. The purpose of this research was to determine how public and private programs aimed at promoting the recruitment, integration and retention of Indigenous employees in the Canadian mining industry meet the needs of Indigenous employees and mining employers. Five categories of programs were assessed (liaison, work readiness, site readiness, cultural awareness and career progression), according to 50 criteria. A literature review and interviews with 86 participants (43 Indigenous, 27 employers and 16 representatives of public programs in Québec and Nunavut) showed that only public programs existed in areas not subjected to government/company-Indigenous agreements, meeting 34% of the needs, compared to 76% for private programs in signatory territories. Implementing private programs in non-signatory territories could be beneficial, but would require a mentality change in the industry.

Members of Indigenous communities want to improve their socio-economic status. While many are willing to participate in the mining industry, they face multiple barriers to employment. The purpose of this research was to study Indigenous employees’ perceptions of the strategies used by Canadian mining employers to promote their recruitment, integration and retention. Semi-structured interviews with 43 Anishnaabeg, Crees and Inuit from communities near mining projects in Quebec and Nunavut showed that to be effective, employability programs required close collaboration between governments, Indigenous communities and industry. Liaison, work readiness, site readiness, mentorship, career progression and language training programs were said to promote the recruitment, integration and retention of Indigenous workers. Facilities and activities valuing Indigenous cultures, a critical mass of Indigenous employees, and quality work relationships were also considered to favor Indigenous employment within mining companies. Cree and Inuit perceptions of the factors promoting their recruitment, integration and retention in the mining industry were similar to those of their employers, while Anishnaabeg rather considered that employers were not making enough efforts. The difference might be explained by the fact that Anishnaabeg have yet to conclude a land claim agreement which would put a legal incentive on companies to implement employability programs.

While companies in developed countries are increasingly turning to indigenous employees, integration measures have met with mixed results. Low integration can lead to breach of the psychological contract, i.e. perceived mutual obligations between employee and employer. The purpose of this paper is to identify how leadership and organizational integration measures can be implemented to promote the perceived insider status (PIS) of indigenous employees, thereby fostering fulfillment of the psychological contract.

Several industries in developed countries are experiencing labor shortages, a particularly acute problem in the mining sector. Indigenous communities have a growing population, and some are interested in participating in mining. However, challenges prevent Indigenous people from entering the workforce. This research aimed to study the attitudes and behaviors of mining sector employers towards the Indigenous workforce, and to identify measures to promote recruitment, integration and retention of Indigenous employees. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 non-Indigenous employers occupying managerial positions and representing 17 mining projects located in Quebec and Nunavut (Canada). Eight of these projects were linked by agreements to neighboring Indigenous communities, either by being located on treaty territories or through Impact and Benefit Agreements (IBAs). The mean percentage of Indigenous employees was 23% in projects with an agreement, compared to