Nalukataq:

Developing an Indigenous

Workforce to bridge the

digital divide

April 2023

Nalukataq: Developing an Indigenous workforce

A multi-year, focused workforce development strategy to increase the number of Indigenous people working in networking to achieve digital equity

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Why now?

• 2022 Indigenous Connectivity Summit (ICS) Calls to Action identify the need for a concerted effort to develop an Indigenous telecommunications workforce
• There is a pressing need to train as many people as possible to take advantage of available funding for Digital Equity initiatives targeted to Indigenous communities
• Partner organizations and institutions have identified the need to do this work

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Our goals:

1. Providing coordination and support for existing capacity sharing initiatives
2. Supporting Indigenous communities to take advantage of the money on the table and build for sustainability
3. Enabling Indigenous peoples to take advantage of high-paying, in-demand careers (filling a workforce gap, creating a position of strength)
4. Supporting economic and social development (advancing Indigenomics)
5. Affecting systemic change in the education sector�

Nalukataq: what is it?

• A multi-faceted workforce development effort to strengthen capacity within Indigenous communities to achieve digital equity.
• The program builds on existing Indigenous Connectivity Institute capacity sharing activities, such as the ICS training program and the Tribal Broadband Bootcamps
• Through partnerships, resource development, advocacy, scholarships, and community building, we will affect systemic change in how network training programs are designed, developed, and implemented to ensure such programs meet the needs of Indigenous community members
• By taking a holistic approach, we will ensure trainees have the supports they need to be successful

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Trainee’s Journey

Digital Equity

Community Engagement

Tribal Broadband Bootcamp

ICS Technical Training

Post Secondary (T/ICU)

Apprenticeships

Self-directed learning (online)

Training / Capacity Sharing

Communities take advantage of funding

Cadre of Indigenous networkers

Advanced Technical Training

On-ramp

Awareness

Mentorship

Works with external partner

Existing ICI programs

Indigenous Connectivity Summit Trainings

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In the weeks leading up to the annual Indigenous Connectivity Summit, the ICI offers an online training program on the technical operations of a community network. This training program provides a basic introduction to networking concepts. Since 2019, nearly 500 people have completed this training.

Tribal Broadband Bootcamps

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The Tribal Broadband Bootcamps (TBB) were initiated in 2021 as a series of workshops to enhance the capacity of Tribal members to undertake community-driven connectivity initiatives. To-date, six Bootcamps have been held, with more than 200 people participating. With the support of the Mastercard Foundation, two Bootcamp-like events will be held in Canada in 2023, four in 2024, and six in 2025.

Proposed activities

Collaboration with Tribal/Indigenous Colleges and Universities

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The ICI will work with colleges and universities to drive the development of culturally-appropriate training programs that respond to the unique needs of Indigenous students

Apprenticeships

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Institution-based learning does not work for everyone. We will work with companies and other organizations - both Indigenous and non-Indigenous - to develop apprenticeship programs to train and certify Indigenous people as network technicians

Mentoring

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The ICI is the institutional home for a content-wide community of people and organizations that build, operate, and manage networks. Working with this community, we will develop a mentoring program that will pair Indigenous experts with trainees to ensure their success

Proposed activities

Online training programs

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We will also work with our partner organizations (such as the Internet Society, North American Network Operators Group, and others) to adapt existing online training materials through an Indigenous lens to ensure they are accessible, inclusive, and culturally competent.

Advanced training

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For Indigenous people already working in networking, we propose to co-develop an advanced training program to level capacity up in the areas of network security, standards development, Internet Exchange Points, among others.

Trainee Profiles

Trainee Profiles (cont.)

A Multi-pronged Approach

A Multi-pronged Approach

A Multi-pronged Approach

Assets/models identified to-date

On-ramps:

• Tribal Broadband Bootcamps (U.S., expanding to Canada in 2023
• ICS training programs

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Institutional training programs:

• Maskwacis Cultural College network technician program (Nîyâkahpisôwin)
• T/ICU programming

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Experiential programming:

• Rhizomatica’s Bootcamps (Latin America)
• Pikani Nation Digital Literacy Camp
• Digital NWT

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Capacity sharing:

• Existing ISOC, IEEE, ICANN, ARIN, NANOG, FMCC, NDIA, ILSR, FNTC training programs will be adapted through an Indigenous lens where necessary

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Mentoring and apprenticeship programs:

• Anishnabeg Outreach
• CyberMentor
• Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation
• Grey Snow Communications

Potential Partners

• First Mile Connectivity Consortium
• National Digital Inclusion Alliance
• Institute for Local Self Reliance
• Intel
• Tribal Ready
• Oklahoma State University
• Maskwacis Cultural College
• Canadian Internet Registration Authority
• American Registry of Internet Numbers
• North American Network Operators Group
• First Nations Technology Council
• Digital Connect Initiative

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• American Indian Science and Engineering Society
• Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (Inuit university with Mastercard Foundation)
• University of the Arctic
• Geeks without Borders
• Internet Society
• Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• First Nations Help Desk
• Tribal Resource Center
• Arizona State University
• Grey Snow Communications

2023 ICS Calls to Action

• We call upon Indigenous/Tribal colleges and community colleges to work with communities and relevant technical organizations to codesign and implement appropriate educational programming that develops the technical capacity of Indigenous peoples
• Colleges should take an experiential approach as opposed to ones based entirely on classroom instruction. Programs should also incorporate remote learning and field experience for course credit, ensuring certification and accreditation can be transferable in their careers
• Indigenous/Tribal colleges and community colleges, as well as funding partners should undertake efforts to raise awareness of the opportunities in the networking field
• We ask that all network training initiatives include cultural sensitivity training requirements for non-Indigenous instructors to promote cultural competency in program delivery

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https://connecthumanity.fund/2022-indigenous-connectivity-summit-calls-to-action/

Who is the Indigenous Connectivity Institute?

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The Indigenous Connectivity Institute (ICI) works to advance internet connectivity in Indigenous communities in the United States and Canada. It does this through training and cultivating knowledge, providing grants to Indigenous broadband networks, and convening a movement of Indigenous broadband advocates at the annual Indigenous Connectivity Summit.

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Led by an advisory committee of Indigenous leaders, the ICI supports Indigenous communities to build a digital future on their terms. The initiative is incubated by Connect Humanity.

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For more information, visit: https://connecthumanity.fund/indigenous-connectivity/