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Call to Action # 9 : Education (6-12)

Postsecondary educational attainment and labour market outcomes among Indigenous peoples in Canada, findings from the 2021 Census

October 27, 2023

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Overview of the study

Statistics Canada:This study uses data from the 2021 Census to report on postsecondary educational attainment and labour market outcomes among Indigenous adults aged 25 to 64 years. As First Nations people, Métis and Inuit are more likely to live in certain regions, which can impact their participation in both education and the labour market, the article examines patterns among those residing in remote areas, on reserve, and communities across Inuit Nunangat. 

  • Just under half (49.2%) of Indigenous adults had completed a postsecondary qualification in 2021. The most common highest level of education was the completion of a college, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma. This was seen for both Indigenous men and women.
  • Among Indigenous adults, the share with a postsecondary qualification was higher in areas closer to, or with greater access to economic centres. The difference between those living in easily accessible areas compared with very remote areas was greatest among Inuit (49.4% versus 21.7%).
  • Compared with five years earlier, the share with a bachelor’s degree or higher increased for First Nations people (+1.6 percentage points (p.p.)), Métis (+2.5 p.p.) and Inuit (+0.9 p.p.). This occurred across all levels of remoteness, though some areas showed larger increases than others. Among First Nations people and Métis, greater increases were seen for those living in easily accessible areas when compared with very remote areas.
  • The employment rate among Indigenous adults in 2021 was lower when compared with the non-Indigenous population (61.2% and 74.1%, respectively). However, the difference in employment rates between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous population disappeared when only considering those with a bachelor’s degree or higher (82.6% and 82.5%, respectively).
  • Although Indigenous adults were, overall, less likely to be employed in professional occupations when compared with the non-Indigenous population (14.7% and 22.9%, respectively), Indigenous adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher were more likely to work in professional occupations than non-Indigenous adults (55.7% and 49.1%).
Almost half of Indigenous adults had completed a postsecondary qualification in 2021

In 2021, just under half (49.2%) of Indigenous people aged 25 to 64 years had completed a postsecondary certificate, degree or diploma, a rate lower than that of non-Indigenous people (68.0%) (Table 1). Rates of postsecondary completion were 45.3% for First Nations people,Note  56.3% for Métis and 33.6% among Inuit. 

Among Indigenous people with a postsecondary qualification, almost three in four (73.7%) had a postsecondary certificate or diploma below the bachelor level, where 46.0% had a college, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma and 22.4% had an apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma. Indeed, across all three Indigenous groups, completion of a college, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma was the most commonly reported highest level of educational attainment for both men and women who had completed a postsecondary qualification.

Indigenous women were more likely to have completed a postsecondary qualification when compared with Indigenous men. More than half (53.5%) of Indigenous women had completed a postsecondary qualification, compared with 44.4% of Indigenous men. While a similar gender difference was also seen for the non-Indigenous population (5.7 percentage point (p.p.) difference), the difference was greater among Indigenous people (9.1 p.p. difference) due to larger gender differences among First Nations people (9.8 p.p. difference) and Métis (8.5 p.p. difference).

Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous men were more likely than women to have attained an apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma; however, the share with this certification was higher among First Nations and Métis men than among Inuit and non-Indigenous men (15.0% and 18.2% versus 13.2% and 13.2%). In contrast, Indigenous women were more likely to have completed any other postsecondary qualifications than Indigenous men, including a bachelor’s degree or higher (16.4% for women compared with 9.0% among men). This trend was also present for non-Indigenous women and men.

To read the complete report click on the following link:

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2023001/article/00012-eng.htm