New skills award for Aboriginal youth
April 16th, 2012 | Posted in Forestry Education | No comments »
The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) in partnership with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is opening nominations for the new Skills Award for Aboriginal Youth.
It will reward a First Nations, Metis or Inuit individual with strong academic standing who is committed to their field of study and to a career in the revitalized forest sector. The $2,500 award is targeted at youth from 18 to 25 who are now enrolled in an apprenticeship program, in college or in university.
“We are delighted to offer this award as part of our desire to attract more Aboriginal youth to the revitalized forest products industry,” says Catherine Cobden, the interim President and CEO of FPAC. “There are now huge career opportunities for those with the skills, knowledge and the desire to work in the sector. The forest products industry will need tens of thousands of new workers in the next decade and it is vitally important to us that we recruit our neighbours and natural partners in these rural communities: Aboriginal youth.”
The University of Northern British Columbia is offering two free programs through its Employment Skills Access Program, funded by the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Agreement. 


