Humber Polytechnic’s Longo Faculty of Business is relaunching a program designed to train and empower Indigenous community members to administer their own pension plans.
 
The Indigenous Pension Plan Administration Certification (IPPAC) program is designed specifically for Indigenous pension plan administrators and Band Council members. It’s a gateway for community members to master the details of defined contribution pension products, governance duties and fiduciary responsibilities within Indigenous communities.
 
Amber Bechard, a Centre for Employee Benefits Advisor and the program’s contact, said many Indigenous communities hire third parties to administer their pension plans. However, the goal of the IPPAC program is to train and empower community members to administer their own pension plans, reducing the need for third-party services and further enhancing financial independence within their community.
 
The program is flexible, with offerings both online and in-person. The goal is to secure the first cohort of students in the coming months.
 
The Longo Faculty of Business offers more than 50 programs across various business fields, including a series of Pension Plan Administration certifications as well as the Gold Standard Pension Plan Administration Certification.
 
Last November, Associate Dean, Mike MacDougall, approached Bechard with the idea of re-launching the IPPAC and they’ve been working since then to build and recruit for the program.
 
“Throughout the past year, we have had the opportunity to speak to and learn from Indigenous community leaders. Through those conversations, we have worked towards building a program that would further promote financial independence for Indigenous communities nationwide,” said MacDougall. “This program has been built using the principle of ‘nothing about us without us,’ and the end result will build on the already strong foundation of our existing pension programming in the Longo Faculty of Business.”  
 
In March, MacDougall and Bechard alongside Elijah Williams, dean of Indigenous Education and Engagement, attended the 22nd AFOA Canada National Conference in Winnipeg where they conducted a soft launch of the program. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive with interest from Indigenous community Band and Council members across the country.  

 
The program's curriculum has been updated by two content experts, Claude Marchessault and Bill Solomon, both of whom are long-standing instructors in Humber’s Pension Plan Administration courses including IPPAC.
 
“I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to work within the Longo Faculty of Business and to be involved in developing the Indigenous Pension Plan Administration Certification,” said Bechard. “Under the leadership of (Senior Dean) Alvina Cassiani, I’ve learned so much. Working with the Faculty’s leadership has not only allowed me to grow professionally but also given me a platform to promote and raise awareness about Indigenous education.”
 
"As we honour the life of Murray Sinclair, a trailblazer as an Indigenous leader, I think of his famous quote ‘education got us into this mess and education will get us out of it.’ Education is the key to supporting each other and the community,” added Cassiani.

The program will be officially relaunched on November 13 ahead of the Humber Hawks women’s basketball game versus the Redeemer Royals. The women’s basketball team is wearing special warmup jerseys during select home games this season to raise awareness about Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and 2-Spirit individuals.
 
More information can be found by visiting the Indigenous Pension Plan Administration Certification website.