August 9, marks the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Across the business, we are working to support Indigenous communities through workforce inclusion, skills development, and business partnerships.
Babcock is committed to building meaningful and mutually beneficial relations with Indigenous Peoples, communities, and businesses in Canada. Across all our lines of work, Babcock strives to recognize and include the culture, heritage, and achievements of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples every day, year-round in Canada.
Partnership Accreditation in Indigenous Relations Certification:
In 2020, Babcock was proud to adopt the Canadian Council for Indigenous Businesses’ ‘Partnership Accreditation in Indigenous Relations’ (PAIR) certification framework. The PAIR framework not only guides our policy and program development, but also serves as a truth and reconciliation framework for Babcock to maximize Indigenous participation within our operations.
Earlier this year, Babcock was thrilled to announce the achievement of ‘Phase III Committed’ status of the PAIR certification program. PAIR Committed companies are beginning to track and manage their Indigenous relations strategies. They have submitted a report covering one year’s worth of company activities and intend to undergo future external performance verification.
Babcock’s PAIR Committee is diligently working with the greater Babcock team to submit an application for PAIR level Bronze in early 2025.
Supporting the Next Generation and Workforce Development:
Over the past year, Babcock has been proud to make several $5,000 donations to Indigenous students in STEM fields at the University of British Columbia, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Camosun College, Red River College, and Algonquin College.
Babcock also delightedly donated $17,500 to the Verna J. Kirkness Foundation, which promotes post-secondary education to Indigenous youth. Babcock’s donation will help put ten students through their program.
At Babcock, we are honoured to continue supporting these students’ career paths from secondary school to post-secondary studies and full employment.
The 2023 Babcock International Award for Indigenous Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Student
In 2023, Babcock committed to investing $150,000 annually in Indigenous skills development training. As part of this commitment, Babcock developed the Babcock International Award for Indigenous Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Students.
This award is presented annually to an Indigenous student who demonstrates exemplary academic progress and has completed the second term of the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer program at Red River College Polytech in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Babcock Canada’s Jeff Church, Person Responsible for Maintenance, was delighted to present the 2023 Babcock International Award for Indigenous Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Students to Desiree Charlton in April.
Congratulations Desiree!
Supporting the Communities in Which We Live and Work:
Babcock was delighted to support and attend several events in the communities in which we live and work this year:
In British Columbia, on September 30, 2023, Babcock was thrilled to sponsor and attend the Songhees Nation’s South Island Powwow. Through song and dance, the annual South Island Powwow was an opportunity to recognize survivors of residential schools and their families in the spirit of reconciliation. We look forward to returning to the Powwow again in 2024.
Babcock was also delighted to support the 2024 Indigenous Partnership Success Showcase. This annual conference responds to the growing demand for practical guidance on how First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities and their enterprise partners can collaborate for a common purpose and shared success. This year’s conference celebrated five years of fostering powerful business connections and success stories, and we were honoured to participate in these crucial discussions.
Expanding our Supply Chain:
As part of Babcock’s commitment to maximizing Indigenous participation across the organization, we have made significant investments to increase diversity within our supply chain. Over the past year, we were delighted to partner with Indigeno Travel LP, Mobile Resources Inc., LaFlesche Inc., Pure Spirit Solutions Inc., and NCN Thompson Bus & Freight.
