Across government sectors, supporting Indigenous employees and increasing representation has been a priority. However, further efforts are required to maintain a diverse work environment and promote marginalized groups in the industry. This analysis will explore the current representation of Indigenous workers in the broad space industry and highlight the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) pledges to improve representation. Many local programs exist to support Indigenous student entry into STEM; however, this article will focus on the result of workforce entry and overall representation.
Between 2021 and 2024, the CSA tracked employee data and compiled a report to analyze underrepresented communities within the industry and the percentage breakdown of their representation across positions.
Workforce Availability
According to the 2021 census taken by Statistics Canada, roughly 5% of Canadians self-identified as Indigenous. However, the workforce availability (WFA); the percentage benchmark that roughly assesses the representation of equity-designated groups; is lower at 1.1%.
The CSA is currently meeting this benchmark, with 1.4% of employees identifying as Indigenous, but the distribution across positions requires further improvement from employers. The WFA for Indigenous Executives sits at 4.1%, yet according to CSA statistics, 0% of their Indigenous employees hold executive positions.
Progress on Implementing Strategies
The CSA has made a comprehensive report regarding prospective paths forward to improve representation and employment standards for marginalized workers, accessible to the public. Some of the key initiatives include targeting highly skilled employees from Indigenous, Black and other marginalized backgrounds to bring them into the space workforce, but no Indigenous-specific program plan has been proposed. Emphasis has also been put on retaining marginalized employees once employed and supporting professional growth into more management and executive positions.
The majority of the goals are ongoing tasks following the CSA’s Employment Equity plan. Several goals related to closing employment gaps had a target completion date of March 2023, though updates have yet to be released to the public.
Data and Reporting
Reporting accurate data remains a struggle, as most reports are out of date. Much of the data collected is from 2023 despite being reported on in 2025. Furthermore, given the disparity between the time analyzed and the actual release date, few updates have been provided regarding goal success. In the CSA’s 2023 report on the space sector, including the Canadian workforce, no explicit references were made to Indigenous representation in the roughly 13,000 jobs across seven unique sectors in the industry.
Summary
After the contraction of the space industry following the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of the industry is on a steady path to recovery. Job openings and new positions have risen over the past few years, and the CSA is matching the WFA for Indigenous representation in the industry. More work is needed to support Indigenous workers into higher level positions, but pathways are open for prospective employees seeking entry into the field.
Author: Sophie Barnes
July 21st, 2025
Bibliography
Canadian Space Agency. “2021-2024 Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.” Canadian Space Agency, / Gouvernement du Canada, 12 Nov. 2021, www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/publications/employment-equity-diversity-inclusion-action-plan-2021-2024.asp.
Canadian Space Agency. “State of the Canadian Space Sector Report 2023.” Canadian Space Agency, / Gouvernement du Canada, 24 Sept. 2024, www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/publications/2023-state-canadian-space-sector.asp.
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. “Canada’s Indigenous Population.” Statistics Canada, 21 June 2023, www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/3920-canadas-indigenous-population.
Secretariat, Treasury Board of Canada. “Government of Canada.” Demographic Snapshot of the Federal Public Service: Glossary of Key Terms – Canada.Ca, / Gouvernement du Canada, 12 Jan. 2022, www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/innovation/human-resources-statistics/demographic-snapshot-federal-public-service-glossary-key-terms.html.