There is a myth in Unama’ki – Cape Breton that the island has a talent shortage. 

In the fifth episode of Invest in Cape Breton, we explore how IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) principles can help businesses overcome recruitment challenges by welcoming members of underrepresented communities. The conversation with Robyn Lee Seale from Build Nova Scotia and Nadine Bernard of Indigivisor covers the importance of building relationships, common mistakes, and the vital role of psychological safety.

Listen now, or read on for a few highlights.

The IDEA Approach and Why to Embrace It

IDEA stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility. An IDEA approach has always been important because workers are people who deserve a good experience in the workplace. But Robyn Lee says it’s a particularly interesting time to be doing diversity and inclusion work because now there’s a workforce gap—it’s in everyone’s best interest to do what it takes to welcome more people into our workplaces, and make it an environment where they want to stay.

Nadine adds that IDEA is an alignment of corporate community values with the actual communities the corporations are in. Unama’ki – Cape Breton is the traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq so including and meaningfully engaging Indigenous people is one way to honour that.

Indigenous Employee Recruitment

Unama’ki’s Indigenous communities are full of talented and skilled people, but accessing them may take more than posting a job ad. That’s because many of these communities have projects of their own that need a lot of workers, and because working off-reserve means their income will be taxed.

Some employers have adapted by leasing space on First Nation land, which Nadine says has been a successful approach. Others, like Everwind Fuels are going even further and working with Indigenous communities as equity partners. 

“Culture can change”

Implementing IDEA principles represents a major culture change. Robyn Lee Seale points to a precedent: the successful shift in work culture around safety since the 1992 Westray mine disaster. The local construction industry has been enthusiastic about this extension of the definition of safety to include psychological safety.

To ease the transition, Build Nova Scotia has been working on helpful support materials like an Inclusive Language Site Manual and the forthcoming Respectful Site Champion Program.

Support for Employers

If you’re an employer that needs help navigating an IDEA shift, or looking for connections into equity-deserving communities, the following people and organizations can help:

• Robyn Lee Seale is the Diversity and Inclusion Lead at Build Nova Scotia: RobynLee.Seale@novascotia.ca
• Nadine Bernard, Founder and CEO of Indigevisor
• The Band Offices of Eskasoni, Membertou, Potlotek, Wagmatcook, or We’koqma’q.
• Mi’kmaw Economic Benefits Office (MEBO)
• Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn (KMK)
• Veronica Merryfield at the Cape Breton Transgender Network

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