Priority 5: Jobs Jobs Jobs

Fifth in a series on the ‘Now or Never” report of the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources (ENEV).

That’s right. You guessed it. Today’s Priority is all about jobs. When you get down to the basics of this report, it is about managing Canada’s future growth in the energy sector. That growth means Canada needs an energy workforce that is trained, skilled, accredited and ready to go.

Where will these workers come from? Priority 5 sites a few examples such as First Nations communities and foreign skilled workers. And the government seems to be working to make that happen. The 2012 federal budget provided $275 million over three years to support First Nations’ education and training. The government has also made a commitment to modify the provincial Nominee Program to improve employer access the foreign workers.

So it’s up to the federal, provincial and territorial governments to work together to develop a plan to successfully develop and utilize workforce resources. To that end, the federal government does its part by providing funding to help the provinces and territories deliver employment training and education programs for those who wish to work.

Pressure is on. The need is now.

The labour force crunch is becoming evident again here in Calgary. Even just driving around listening to the radio, I’ve often heard advertisements for fast-track programs at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT).

It’s easy to understand why industry growth equals more jobs. So today’s lesson links will be valuable if  you’re at all interested in working or improving your skills in any of the various energy industries. The Petroleum Human Resource Council provides a lot of information about working in the energy sector, including a job board, career planning information and training and education. Eco Canada also provides resources to help you plan a career, find a job, has a career fair coming up in Calgary in October and provides training and accreditation resources.

You can also check out the  Government of Canada, Athabasca University, Atlantic Petroleum Training College and Keyano College to name just a few.