By Derrick Penner, Vancouver Sun August 21, 2010
The federal government has pumped $9 million into a training program for up to 600 aboriginal workers for the $1.2-billion Pacific Trail Pipeline project, MP Jay Hill announced Friday in Prince George.
Hill, speaking for Diane Finley, federal Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, said the hope is that the training, by the Pacific Trail Pipeline Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership Project, will lead to "hundreds of well-paying, long-term jobs in the natural-gas sector."
He added that this initiative is part of the government's Economic Action Plan, "ensuring that aboriginal people have the training and skills development they need to fully share in current and future economic opportunities."
Ernst Poschenrieder, vice-president of the Pacific Trail Pipeline Aboriginal Skills Employment Partnership Training Society, said one problem in the past has been that training available to first nations hasn't always fit labour demands.
"With the Pacific Trail Pipeline construction, we can target specific training to specific jobs and thereby focus our efforts very sharply," Poschenrieder said.
The pipeline is a 463-kilometre natural gas conduit to connect the proposed Kitimat LNG Inc. gas liquefaction plant and export terminal at Kitimat with the Spectra Energy gas transmission system at Summit Lake, which is north of Prince George.
The pipeline is being built as a 50/50 joint venture between Kitimat LNG's owner, Galveston LNG Inc., and Pacific Northern Gas Ltd., the utility firm that serves northwestern B.C.
The federal Economic Action Plan provided $100 million in total funding to the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership Program, which has worked to create partnerships, like the Pacific Trail initiative, with other levels of government and employers to provide on-the-job training for aboriginals.
depenner@vancouversun.com
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