University of the Fraser Valley helps Métis Nation British Columbia build its next generation of leaders
The University of the Fraser Valley’s School of Continuing Education is helping Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) build its next generation of leaders through a customized management skills program designed to strengthen leadership capacity across the organization.
The program was recently delivered to 60 staff members from MNBC, who gathered at UFV’s Clearbrook Centre in Abbotsford. Another 60 employees are signed up for training this fall.
MNBC is recognized by the federal and provincial governments as the governing nation for Métis in British Columbia. It represents 38 Métis chartered communities and advocates for more than 113,000 self-identified Métis in the province.
With employees in management-level positions across the province, MNBC identified a need for a leadership training pathway that would support employee recruitment and retention while fostering long-term leadership growth.
“The program provided practical, relevant and immediately applicable leadership and management skills that have strengthened our managers’ confidence, effectiveness and ability to lead diverse teams across the province,” says MNBC Director Ghazal Tohidi. “What stood out most was the balance between theory and real-world application. Participants were able to reflect on their leadership styles, develop stronger people-management skills and apply their learning directly to the challenges they encounter in their roles every day.”
Many participants provided positive feedback, with one noting the value of bringing what they learned back to their community.
“I really loved learning about the leadership styles and spending time to think about which styles each one of us models,” the participant said. “I realized things about myself that I had not previously thought about.”
Ghazal says the customized program has been an exceptional investment for MNBC.
“The program has helped strengthen our management capacity across the organization and supports our commitment to developing current and future leaders at MNBC,” she says. “UFV’s partnership and willingness to customize the program to meet our needs helped us provide a meaningful learning experience for our leaders. Given the positive feedback and impact of the first cohort, we are excited to continue this partnership and support the next group of emerging leaders.”
Carolyn MacLaren, UFV’s director of Continuing Education, says the program expands Continuing Education’s reach while demonstrating its ability to work with key provincial communities and organizations to meet labour market needs and build capacity.
“We are building long-lasting relationships with local Indigenous communities, relationships that expand beyond just meeting their community needs,” MacLaren says. “We have been working closely with MNBC for quite some time, and this relationship continues to grow with more incoming cohorts.”
Story by Eric Welsh – eric.welsh@ufv.ca
