Okanagan College will provide new construction skills training for aboriginal youth in the region, thanks to an investment by the Government of Canada, through Western Economic Diversification Canada.
Federal funding of more than $158,300 was announced today by Colin Mayes, Member of Parliament for Okanagan-Shuswap, on behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic Diversification and Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources. Funding is provided under the Community Economic Diversification Initiative (CEDI), a component of the federal Mountain Pine Beetle Program.
"The federal government is providing this funding to create opportunities to diversify the employment skills of aboriginal youth," said Mr Mayes. "By fulfilling training demands in fields other than the forest sector, we are enabling regional growth and economic stability."
"The project announced today is an example of how the Government of Canada is addressing the needs of communities affected by the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation," said Minister Lunn. "Through this support, our government is helping impacted communities turn challenges into economic opportunities."
Funding will help Okanagan College develop and deliver a one-year aboriginal residential construction skills training program in the Okanagan Region of B.C. Project activities will include the development of curriculum, coordination of trade skills training and creation of partnership opportunities with Aboriginal groups. Physical delivery of workshops and training will be initiated in Vernon, Cawston and Hedley.
"We're pleased that this funding from the federal government has allowed us to expand our working relations with the First Nation Bands in the area and other groups to provide trades training in a hands-on setting," said Okanagan College President Jim Hamilton, who also chairs British Columbia's Trades Training
Consortium. "Providing training and educational opportunities that will allow individuals and our region to adapt to changing economic circumstances is a key focus for Okanagan College."
Managed by Western Economic Diversification Canada, CEDI will invest more than $33 million over two years towards projects in communities most at risk from the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation. The program supports a wide range of projects that further economic growth, job creation and future community sustainability.
The CEDI program is part of the Government of Canada's $200 million comprehensive response to mitigate the short- and long-term effects of the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation on B.C.'s forestry sector. This federal Mountain Pine Beetle Program is led by Natural Resources Canada, in collaboration with Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) and Transport Canada.
Western Economic Diversification Canada is a department of the Government of Canada that works in partnership with the provinces, industry associations and communities to promote the development and diversification of the western economy and to represent the interests of the West in national decision-making.
For more information on the federal Mountain Pine Beetle Program, please visit: http://mpb.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/
For additional information, contact:
Pierre Floréa
Director of Communications
Office of the President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic Diversification
Telephone: (613) 943-1838
Nancy Darling
Program Administrator
Okanagan College Trades & Apprenticeship
Downtown Penticton and Kelowna Campus
Penticton, BC
Tel: (250) 492-4305 ext. 3325
Tel: (250) 762-5445 ext. 4288
