NOC Code

Aboriginal Economic Development Officer
National Occupational Code (NOC)
Classification Title 4163

Anita Boyle, Education & Research Manager
Eastern Region

After many months of hard work and consultation with Human Resources and Skills Development
Canada (HRSDC) in April 2011, Cando was successful in obtaining a National Occupation Code (NOC) for the classification job title Aboriginal Economic Development Officer. "Cando is extremely proud to have put this job title on the map” says Ray Wanuch, Executive Director of Cando.

The job of Aboriginal Economic Development Officer has been evolving over the past few decades and has increasingly become more demanding and complex. Individuals working in this field must be professional, highly skilled and educated. Cando has been in the business of certifying economic development professionals since 1990 and is there to work with communities to develop their capacity. Cando also provides workshops and training tailored to meet the needs of individual communities. Aboriginal EDO’s work in Canadian Aboriginal communities separated by vast distances, and can be located close to major cities or in isolated and remote communities. They work in economic development for:

  • First Nations;
  • Inuit Communities;
  • Métis Settlements;
  • Aboriginal Capital Corporations;
  • Community Futures Organizations;
  • Aboriginal banking institutions;
  • Local, regional, provincial, territorial and national governments; and
  • Tribal Councils.

An Aboriginal EDO is often the only individual responsible for promoting employment, helping community members draft business plans, negotiating resource and other arrangements with large corporations, and encouraging business and industry development in their community. All this must occur while balancing the community’s cultural and spiritual needs. Most Aboriginal EDOs do their best to meet these demands with limited specific or relevant training or education, and with few accessible resources.

Although Aboriginal EDOs often appear to work on their own, whatever they do (or do not do) has an impact on every aspect of community living from elections to education, from social development to environmental protection and cultural stewardship. An Aboriginal EDO’s role usually has some direct association to treaty negotiations, community planning, land use and sustainability.

As a result of the importance of this role, much thought should be given not only to what the job is, but also to what kind of person should be in the job. Their needs, and their ability (or lack of ability) to do their job well, should be of interest to everyone in the community. An Aboriginal EDO’s job most often takes place in organizations, communities and economic conditions that are constantly changing. Their role (and the expectations associated with it) frequently changes too, with very few places to learn how to NOC provides a standardized framework for organizing the world of work in a coherent system. It is used to manage the collection and reporting of occupational statistics and to provide understandable labour market information. The structure and content of the NOC are also implemented in a number of major services and products throughout the private and public sectors.

HRSDC in partnership with Statistics Canada, update the NOC according to five -year census cycles.  Revisions are based on extensive occupational research and consultations conducted across the country, reflecting the evolution of the Canadian labour market. For more information on the NOC Classification Title Aboriginal Economic Development Officer 4163 at the following links:

http://www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/NOC/English/NOC/2011/SearchAlphabeticalResult.aspx?val10=Ahttp://www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/NOC/English/NOC/2011/ProfileAlphabetic.aspx?val=4&val1=4163&val10=A

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