A win-win! Shell Canada’s support for their Aboriginal neighbours

Shell has an excellent reputation as a leader in supporting socially-oriented organizations all across the country and around the globe. From partnering with safety-oriented nonprofit groups that aim to teach high-school students the dangers of drinking and driving to funding health foundations that provide Medicare access to the homeless; Shell’s social investment portfolio is as diverse as the communities in which they operate.

What sets Shell apart from North America’s oil and gas giants is the company’s commitment to enhancing the lives of aboriginal peoples. Through Shell Canada-sponsored scholarships, Indigenous people with a passion for helping their fellow community members now have an opportunity to learn about Aboriginal Leadership and Management at The Banff Centre.

Shell Canada’s partnership with The Banff Centre offers leadership courses to Aboriginal people with a vision for building strong communities while helping to grow the local economy.

Eight different programs under the Banff Centre’s Aboriginal Leadership umbrella, teach participants how to “plan, strategically implement and develop their vision for institutions and communities, and lead more effectively”. Adding to the uniqueness of the program, the curriculum model is based on “revitalizing the indigenous nationhood” and was developed in response to a needs assessment survey and a think-tank comprised of past members.

Photo captured by The Banff Centre. 

The program begins with exploring the pathway to local independence, identifies how to create institutions containing a strong cultural component reflective of aboriginal traditions and finally, providing direction on “realizing the dream through strategic planning, implementation and measurement”.

Five additional courses teach the foundations for developing skills and knowledge around building solid and sustainable aboriginal nations and organizations within a First Nation community. Some of the courses in the secondary stream include Indigenous Women in Leadership, Negotiating Skills and Training and Leading Teams: Good Governance for Council and Boards.

Offering Shell-sponsored scholarships to program participants demonstrate a genuine commitment to the growth and skills development of their indigenous neighbours that inturn support the operations of Alberta’s oil sands region.

Under Shell Canada and their joint venture owners Chevron and Marathon’ s Athabasca Oil Sands Project (AOSP), the services of Aboriginal suppliers and contractors have consistently been acquired for the Jack Pine and Muskeg River Mining operations in Fort McMurray and the Scotford Upgrader refinery located east of Edmonton.

In a press release issued on June 11, 2011 Shell announced that under the AOSP, more than $1 billion has been spent on Aboriginal contractors in just six years of the project’s history.

The $1 billion milestone was achieved through harnessing the services of over 70 Aboriginal businesses whose expertise lay in “different technical areas, facilities management, bussing, camps and catering and waste management”. That was two years ago and the preference to hire local Aboriginal businesses under from the Shell’s AOSP remains a top priority for the company.

The Shell-sponsored Indspire Awards. Photo from Shell.ca. 

Further to developing the skills and talents of its Aboriginal neighbours by scholarship offerings to The Banff Centre, Shell has sponsored a number of different First Nations-focused events and initiatives. Most notably, the Indspire Awards that recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of Indigenous people.

The Shell supported Fort McKay Steps Forward program councils community members on how to reach their career aspirations by participants getting their GED and/or completing post-secondary education.

Continuing on with Shell’s commitment, the company has recently announced its contribution to building the cultural area in the Athabasca Cree First Nation’s Elder Care Centre. Located in Fort Chipewyan, the centre allows Elders to stay in the community and pass along their traditions to the next generation. Additionally, Shell Albian Sands has employed a number of Fort Chipewyan community members who are transported to site by the company’s fly-in-fly-out program.

By incorporating the diversity of local populations into Shell’s workforce, the company is able to create further understanding of its rigorous efforts to offset environmental impacts and support for community initiatives. These efforts are communicated to employees and then cascaded out into the community. In essence, Shell is creating corporate ambassadors by employing strong internal campaigns.

Furthermore, Shell sponsoring the training and development of its Aboriginal neighbours is a win-win situation not only for improving the quality of life for First Nations people, but it allows this population to be viable contributors to the local economic mix. Shell isn’t a boastful organization when it comes to their strong social investment programs, rather, they let their far-reaching community support speak for itself.