We’re committed to aligning our vision of being a catalyst for a resilient and sustainable society and our values of responsibility, integrity and inclusion to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #92—Business and Reconciliation. To move toward this, we co-created and are working now to implement a Reconciliation Strategy that honours our purpose of financial security for Canadians and our communities.
Engaging in employee education
We’ve spent the last year educating ourselves, through an impactful approach to learning and unlearning. This has included the engagement of Elders, current and former Chiefs, and many Indigenous professionals and knowledge keepers from across Turtle Island. In 2023, 3,446 employees participated in 53 learning sessions.
Growing partnerships
We are growing our relationship with First Nations University (FNU), providing scholarships, mentoring and career-management opportunities. We also sponsor scholarships at the University of Waterloo. We support the Circle Project’s Building Cultural Competency (BCC) program, which is an education-based learning opportunity that engages Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in making connections between Canada’s history and reconciliation.
Honouring National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR)
We honour NDTR by dedicating the day to learning and giving back. Each year, we host a live education session that is available to all employees. We promote the use of volunteer days for employees to support a cause meaningful to them, including opportunities that advance Truth and Reconciliation. On September 30, 2023, we held NDTR events at locations across the country, with 1,931 employees participating in person and online. Supporting a positive.
A gathering for Indigenous youth
As part of its mandate to support young, underserved Canadians in building their financial security, Co-operators Community Funds (CCF) seeks to foster conditions that increase Indigenous youth representation in the workforce and their ability to compete in the labour market. As part of our ongoing commitment to reconciliation, and to develop a program that addresses gaps and meets the needs of Indigenous youth, we gathered in Mînî Hrpa (Banff, AB) to begin the process of co-creating an Indigenous youth employability program.
22 indigenous
4 non-Indigenous
Indigenous communities/First Nations represented
provinces and territories represented
“Youth need to see themselves employed in the positions they may dream about. It is the employer’s obligation to make that vision more feasible. By listening to youth and to the things that would make them feel comfortable and empowered, the employer can live up to their responsibilities of ensuring employees feel valued. Now that we have some research on what Indigenous youth value in a workplace, it is time for employers to implement these recommendations and calls to action before the Indigenous youth employees arrive.”
Learn more about our Reconciliation Strategy online
Get to know our full Reconciliation Strategy, including details on our guiding principles, action pillars, timelines, and progress toward the desired outcomes.
