b'Swampy explained in certain regions of the country, cliques form around contractors and those who manage the awarding of bids. This leads many to avoid identifying as Indigenous for fear of being profiled.Indigenous communities have been pounded by poverty, which has led to decades of social problems like violence, drug abuse, alcoholism and more, Swampy explained. But sharing in the economic benefits and jobs that come from large energy projects can help lift Indigenous communities out of poverty.Once we become part of an economy, we want to be a part of a society and we participate more easily, said Swampy. We want to get away from people complaining that billions of dollars of tax revenue goes to First Nations and social welfare funding. And the only way to do that is an equal and fair chance at jobs in this country.Those interested in learning more about Indigenous workforce issues or learning about how they can connect with Indigenous workers can visit aabo.ca or www.aswa.ca.Follow the author on Twitter @RussellReports.This story was originally published in The Daily Commercial News and The Journal of Commercein June 2021.Alberta Carpenters Training CentreWeve trained North Americas best scaffolders for 20 years.The Alberta Carpenters Training Centre has delivered its 3-year Scaffolder Apprenticeship and Carpenter JM Upgrade Scaffold Programs, as well as dozens of other safety and skill training programs, to thousands of students in three training centresEdmonton, Ft. McMurray & Calgaryfor over 20 years.Our new $23 million centre includes two state-of-the-art scaffold shops, including one purpose-built to accommodate suspended scaffolding.ACTC-trained scaffolders work on some of the worlds largest mega-projects. Many of the scaffolds they design and build are unique, highly-complicated, and critical to both human safety and worker productivity.www.abcarptc.ab.caACCESS CANADA FALL/WINTER 202119'