As part of British Columbia’s (B.C.) Skills for Jobs Blueprint, B.C is investing up to $30 million over the next three years to support Aboriginal skills training projects and partnerships. The new funding will support Aboriginal skills training focused primarily in First Nations communities impacted by LNG development. Programs to be supported will align with B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint and the goal of adding 15,000 more Aboriginal people to B.C.’s workforce within 10 years.
The Nisga’a Nation through NLG’s Nisga’a Employment, Skills & Training department successfully applied for $2.1 million over three (3) years.
NEST and its partners will deliver training and programs that provide Nisga’a citizens in the Northwest region with the requisite skills and abilities to enter into industry or trades training. This path will lead Nisga’a citizens to meaningful employment.
From the moment a Nisga’a citizen enters this program they will feel the support, respect and guidance of the team. This program accesses existing resources in literacy, numeracy, life skills, and addictions. When resources do not exist, the team will work together to design and implement resources to support our Nisga’a citizens.
Helping Nisga’a citizens begin their training journey and personal success plan is key to this laddering or referral program.
The objective of the project is to target and prepare Nisga’a Citizens employment opportunities created by benefit agreements between Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) proponents and the Nisga’a Nation as well as related resource development in North West British Columbia.
Through assessments, interviews and one-on-one coaching with eligible Nisga’a participants; the project activities and outcomes will lead participants into further training initiatives or employment. The assessment process within this project will refer Nisga’a participants to existing and funded resources depending on barriers or challenges identified.
The Nisga’a citizens completing these project activities will have the pre-requisite skills and will be hired for a short term by the Village Government or Nisga’a Government office in Terrace or Prince Rupert. This employment will create an opportunity to apply their newly acquired skills. It is expected that completion of this short-term employment will facilitate laddering into other training initiatives or employment.
Call Kailani @ 1 844 633 2210 for more information about this program or participation.