TORONTO -- Getting Indigenous students into the corporate world and 鈥渂ridging the gap鈥� between academia and businesses is paramount, says Candice Loring of non-profit organization Mitacs.
Mitacs was created in 1999 and works with 70 universities and 6,000 companies, and both federal and provincial governments to build partnerships and social innovation in Canada.
Loring, who is a member of the Gitwangak Band of Gitxsan Nation, is the first Indigenous person to be hired at Mitacs.
She to link Indigenous-owned businesses and organizations with Indigenous students to help them take their first steps into the corporate world.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a win-win situation,鈥� Loring said of the initiative on CTV鈥檚 Your Morning Wednesday. 鈥淚n matching those top students in academia with real life businesses鈥� they have an opportunity to gain experiential learning.鈥�
Loring explained that the initiative helps remove some of the financial and social barriers facing Indigenous students, and she helps match the college research interns with businesses and organizations.
One of the , which has Indigenous interns working on hydroponic innovations to boost local food production and security, programs to help small businesses pivot amid COVID-19, self-sustaining restorative farming solutions, and art programs.
For Loring, the mission is a personal one.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have a typical education experience, I actually dropped out of high school in Grade 10,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o this day I am a Grade 10 drop out, so my claim to fame is that I have a university degree, but I never finished school.鈥�
Loring said programs that gave 鈥渆quitable access and opportunities for Indigenous students to thrive,鈥� is what allowed her to achieve her post-secondary success.
鈥淏ecause I was awarded those opportunities I wanted to go back and try and be a part of other Indigenous student鈥檚 educational journey and help them thrive,鈥� she said.
For Indigenous voices to be added to the corporate world where 鈥渄ecisions are being made鈥� Loring said opportunities for Indigenous peoples need to go beyond 鈥渓ip service.鈥�
鈥淚ndigenous rights are Canadian rights, and it鈥檚 about including Indigenous voices because it鈥檚 the right thing to do,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about check-marking a box.鈥�
