Onaki FabLab

The First Peoples Innovation Center (FPIC) adapted the FabLab model developed at MIT in 2002 to fit into an Indigenous context. With funding from ESDC, the FPIC created the Onaki FabLab in Gatineau, the very first Indigenous FabLab in Canada (Onaki means “Roots” in Anishinabe). Since then, the FPIC has supported more than 250 Indigenous youth between the ages of 15 and 30 in a six-month training program (four months of training and two months of internship).

The program’s success rate has reached over 76%, meaning that more than 76% of the Indigenous youth completed the program and subsequently entered the workforce, returned to school, or started their own business. Given these results, the FPIC is receiving more and more requests from Indigenous communities.

Digital training

Academic training: training in digital technology

• • 3D printing
  • Laser cutting
  • Vinyl cutting
  • CNC milling machine
  • Screen printing
  • Digital embroidery
  • Sewing
  • Electronics
  • Programming
  • 2D Design
  • 3D Modeling

Employment training:

• • Mentorship
  • Development of essential (transferable) skills
  • Employability workshops (resume, cover letter, etc.)
  • Entrepreneurship workshops (business plan, etc.)

Cultural sessions to strengthen identity pride:

• • Reconnection with cultural identity (talking circles, intergenerational exchanges with Elders, outings, gatherings)
  • Traditional Indigenous art workshops (drum making, moccasins, dreamcatchers, canoes, traditional crafts, woodworking, etc.)

2 month internship

The internship provides an opportunity for young Indigenous people to showcase the digital skills they have acquired, which is particularly valuable in addressing the current shortage of skilled labor. The FPIC is actively identifying regional businesses that utilize digital technology to create a pool of employers who are directly interested in individuals with digital skills.