Raise, a leading staffing and recruitment firm committed to fostering strong relationships with Indigenous communities, is proud to announce it has been awarded the PAIR Bronze accreditation by the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB).
The PAIR (Partnership Accreditation in Indigenous Relations) program is a comprehensive initiative that evaluates companies on their Indigenous engagement performance in four key areas: Leadership Actions, Employment, Business Development, and Community Relationships. Achieving a PAIR Bronze accreditation underscores Raise’s commitment to breaking down barriers to work for all people and promoting Indigenous inclusion and economic participation within the workforce.
“Becoming PAIR Certified is an important step in Raise’s journey towards reconciliation,” says Tim Masson, CEO of Raise. “It’s been remarkable to see the impact on our employees—not just what they’ve learned about Indigenous history and cultures, but how proud they are to be part of a company that takes reconciliation seriously. We’ve taken some big steps in terms of how we partner and build relationships with Indigenous communities and businesses, but we know there is still plenty to do, and so we are really looking forward to building on this foundation in the work to come.”
Raise’s PAIR journey began way back in 2018, when they formally recognized the importance and potential of mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous communities across Canada and the US. Since then, they have developed a Diverse Supplier Network to mentor and foster relationships with Indigenous-owned suppliers, increased the use of Indigenous businesses within their own internal processes, built partnerships with firms committed to breaking down barriers of employment for Indigenous peoples, committed to sponsoring Indigenous-led charities every year, and rolled out Indigenous cultural awareness training across the company.
In 2021 they launched the Indigenous Recruiter Training Program. Working with two internal Indigenous consultants, as well as consultation with several Indigenous nations across Canada, they worked over two years to build this first-of-its-kind experiential training and employment program to employ Indigenous recruiters at their company.
Raise also works in close collaboration with their clients and supply chain partners to create more opportunity for Indigenous peoples.
“Enbridge has a long-standing track record of engaging with Indigenous communities across Canada and the US,” says Chris Partridge, Director SCM Category Management Indirect, Enbridge. “We continue to build relationships, create economic opportunities and work within these communities and it’s imperative our strategic partners share these commitments as well. Raise has taken the next steps to support us in this endeavor by achieving the PAIR certification. We look forward to working closely with Raise to continue strengthening prosperity in Indigenous communities.”
The PAIR Bronze accreditation is a testament to Raise’s dedication to building Indigenous relations based on respect, fairness, understanding, and open communication to understand the traditional land use concerns of these communities and to minimize their impact on these concerns.
“This momentous milestone reflects Raise’s deep commitment to reconcili-action and the meaningful progress achieved in building respectful and collaborative relations with Indigenous communities,” says Toni Lauzon, Indigenous Program Specialist working with Raise. “As the Indigenous Program Specialist, it has been an honour to walk alongside and witness firsthand the company’s dedication to the PAIR commitments. This recognition stands as a testament to ongoing efforts and shared values in advancing reconciliation here at Raise.”
Raise looks forward to building on this success and continuing to work closely with Indigenous communities to drive positive change and economic development.
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