B.C. government invests in Aboriginal skills training

The government of British Columbia (B.C.) recently announced that it is investing in two new programmes to ensure Aboriginal workers can better access jobs generated by LNG development in B.C., Canada.

North Central LNG Strategies Program

The Province will provide CAN$387 000 for the North Central LNG Strategies Program to help 112 members of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation and Mcleod Lake Indian Band enhance their employability and occupational skills. Training will run for 26 weeks and take place in Prince George.

The workforce-development component of the programme will provide support services, such as employment counselling, job-readiness training and work placements, for up to 100 First Nations members. The occupational certification component will train 12 participants for careers in environmental monitoring. It will also offer health and safety certifications.

Skills Connect: Training for First Nations Workforce Development Practitioners

The B.C. government will also invest CAN$321 000 in Skills Connect: Training for First Nations Workforce Development Practitioners. This programme will develop a pool of 15 talented Aboriginal instructors and workforce development practitioners in the Cariboo/Nechako region. These practitioners will provide employment coaching, mentoring and essential skills training to First Nations members. Programme participants will be selected from a group of 17 northern First Nations.

The programme will be delivered by the Prince George Nechako Aboriginal Employment and Training Association (PGNAETA).

Both programmes are being funded through B.C.’s Aboriginal Skills Training Development Fund.

John Rustad, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, said: “Skills training is one of the keys to prosperity as the LNG industry grows in B.C. These community-driven programmes will provide First Nations people with transferable skills and greater access to good jobs and an improved quality of life.”

Chief Dominic Frederick, Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, added: "We are embarking on an exciting new partnership between McLeod Lake Indian Band, Prince George Nechako Aboriginal Employment and Training Association and Lheidli T'enneh under the North Central LNG Strategies Program to ensure that young Aboriginals are better able to access employment and to compete more fully in the job market. This initiative and new partnership is very exciting and timely and we are very excited to be involved in an initiative that will elevate the employment and skills status of our peoples."

Edited from press release by Callum O'Reilly

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/24112015/bc-government-invests-in-aboriginal-skills-training-1671/