AURORA COLLEGE
Research seeks to increase number of Indigenous youth in healthcare professions

Aurora College has been awarded $150,000 from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to examine strategies to address the current healthcare and social services workforce crisis and encourage more Indigenous and Northern youth to pursue careers in healthcare.

The CIHR Catalyst Grant for Policy Research for Health System Transformation will support the project entitled "Spark the Fire: Policy Strategy for Retention and Support of Indigenous and Northern Youths' Pursuit of Healthcare Careers in the Northwest Territories". A total of 22 northern researchers will be involved in the project. (See attached list)

According to the 2016 Statistics Canada Census, slightly more than half of the NWT population is Indigenous, yet Indigenous persons are significantly under-represented in healthcare and social services professions. In addition, the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority notes as of June 30, 2022, the vacancy rate for healthcare professionals in the NWT was 26 percent. Most NWT communities continue to struggle with a high turnover of healthcare workers, limited recruitment success and overburdened healthcare providers.

The project will include all regions of NWT, with the support of community leaders, Indigenous Elders and various stakeholder groups. It will engage with Indigenous and Northern youth in grades 9-12 to identify local strengths and barriers to pursuing healthcare and social services careers. The resulting evidence-based strategy will be rooted in Indigenous and Northern perspectives, using the philosophical framework "Strong Like Two People".

The CIHR Catalyst Grant will advance evidence-informed policy options, solutions and strategies to address the NWT's current health workforce crisis. By nurturing a regionally grown healthcare workforce, "Spark the Fire" seeks to contribute to recruitment and retention initiatives, promoting a more diverse, culturally safe and accessible healthcare system for all residents.