The Yukon government is launching a public engagement process to learn more about barriers faced by Indigenous Yukoners in territorial government hiring practices.

The exercise will also gather feedback on the overall experience of Indigenous public servants employed by the government.

Indigenous Yukoners aged 18-plus are invited to provide feedback through the survey by July 31.

It will cover topics such as recruitment process, the online application platform and how the government can make workplaces more inclusive for Indigenous people.

“The Government of Yukon is committed to achieving the vision of Breaking Trail Together, which aims to establish the Yukon as a trailblazer in achieving a diverse and inclusive Yukon public service that fully represents Yukon First Nations people,” the government said in a statement.

“This engagement process serves as a crucial role in fostering an inclusive and engaging workplace experience where employees feel secure, supported and valued as professionals.”

Yukoners can access the survey on yukon.ca/engagements.

“Our government recognizes the importance of building a public service that is representative of the people it serves,” Sandy Silver, the minister responsible for the Public Service Commission, said Monday.

“I am proud of the ongoing efforts to further the vision of Breaking Trail Together, and I am confident that this engagement process will continue to strengthen our efforts.

“Thank you to each and every Yukoner who actively engages in this process, as your invaluable participation not only strengthens government but also enables us to effectively deliver programs and services to our fellow Yukoners as a dedicated public service.”

Preference hiring of qualified candidates who self-identify as Yukon First Nation or Indigenous ancestry has been in place at the government since 2020.

The goal of preference hiring is to increase the representation of Indigenous people within the public service in various occupations and pay levels.

The percentage of Yukon government employees who self-identify as Indigenous has remained at 14 per cent since the initiative was introduced.

“We are aware that some Indigenous people experience barriers to employment with the Government of Yukon and advancement within the organization,” said Public Service Commissioner Sherri Young.

“Ultimately, we are committed to creating a better employee experience, and to do this, we need to gather as much information as we can from both our current and former employees, and members of the public.”

The territory’s Indigenous population is about 22.3 per cent based on 2021 territorial census data.