What do jail guards, bureaucrats, counsellors and human resource employees all have in common?

They all deal with some aspect of social justice in their day-to-day work.

In fact, at least 1,390 Yukoners, almost eight per cent of the workforce, have a social justice component to their jobs, according to a 2007 market analysis done by Yukon College.

That study, as well as a need expressed by both employers and employees has led to the creation of the Northern Institute of Social Justice, college president Terry Weninger announced Friday.

The institute will begin offering programming, including classes and research initiatives, in 2010.

It was created in response to the challenge employers face in recruiting, developing and retaining employees for jobs with a social justice-related component; and the similar challenge faced by employees who want to access the necessary training in the Yukon to get those jobs and develop their careers, Weninger said.

Women who took the correctional officer career exploration training offered earlier this year were the first people to take courses developed and delivered by the institute, which is now developing courses for next year.

One of the first classes offered will tackle one of the North's most prevalent social justice issues: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and the justice system.

The need for this specialized training has been around for decades, but at a conference on the subject held in Whitehorse last year, it was made a priority for the Yukon's Justice department. The courses currently being developed are in direct response to that need.

There are no hard numbers on how many people in the territory's court and jail system suffer from FASD, although Justice officials have said such a survey is in the works, but everyone from victim services workers to judges recognize the disorder is a huge factor in the territory's crime statistics.

People who work with FASD sufferers quickly learn that their clients have trouble keeping appointments, may not understand or remember the terms of their probation, and often need extra support to stay sober and keep away from bad influences, conference participants said.

They may also be more vulnerable to being attacked or manipulated, an important consideration for corrections officers.

Most Yukoners who suffer from FASD have never been diagnosed, so recognizing the traits and knowing how to respond appropriately is a necessary skill for front-line workers, it is noted in the conference's final report.

Twenty-five Justice and other front-line employees will take the 10-class pilot course starting in the spring, according to the department.

From there, the course will likely be offered to a wider audience, in keeping with the institute's mandate of offering social justice-related training to both the public and private sectors.

Courses in workplace violence prevention and investigation and report writing will also be offered in 2010.

The ultimate goal of the institute is to provide both specialized job training for employees and accredited courses for college students, but programming will begin with employee-focused education, Weninger said.

While Nunavut and the Northwest Territories are not currently involved in the institute, Weninger said the other territories have expressed an interest in participating in the program in the future.

"It has the potential to become a pan-northern training, education and research institute over time,” he said.

Money for the institute – $1,146,000 between 2010 and 2013 – comes from the federal Community Development Trust.