Apprenticeship Training

The current focus on trades training is driven by the oil sands development. The investment in the oil sands projects in the Fort McMurray region is unprecedented in Canada. The demand for apprentices presents colleges such as Keyano with both opportunities and challenges. The main challenges are in trying to meet the training demands fast enough and effectively enough.

Alberta has 1,126 Aboriginal apprentices which is an increase of 888 in less than 4 years. The projection is 1500 within the next 3 years. At 99 Fort McMurray has the 4th highest number of Aboriginal apprentices. Our population is only 70,000. Edmonton has 504, Calgary, 112 and Bonnyville 162.

The solution to increased training availability for aboriginal apprentices has come in the form of partnerships.

• ASEP (Aboriginal Skills and Employment program) managed by the Athabasca Tribal Council and the Metis Nation of Alberta (MNA) Zone 1
• PACE (Preparation for Academic and Career Education) at the Clearwater Campus
• Shapotowak a special partnership between an Aboriginal contractor (2000Plus) and the Mikisew Cree – students who were working full time for 2000+, came to school in the evening twice a week for a year to prepare for GED, preapprenticeship or other College programs
• APAP (Apprenticeship Preparation for Aboriginal People) current development with Alberta Workplace Essential Skills committee.

As an example of partnerships at work, Janvier and Conklin use to be sleepy little communities; each has a population of about 300 people. Now there are several large SAGD (Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage) operations extracting oil very close to these communities. It is good news in terms of employment, but these operations require skilled employees. The companies working in the area wanted to hire locally, but the residents lacked the skills. The PACE program in Conklin is a partnership with the community of Conklin, the MNA, Keyano, Devon Canada Ltd. and NAIT. These organizations worked together to deliver 3 phases; classroom training, hands on trades training and a work term. NAIT brought its Trades in Motion program which includes 53 foot long mobile shop. Keyano jump started the program with delivery of Safety and Workplace Reading and the Workplace Applied Math program. NAIT delivered a pre- trades academic upgrading next along with personal management and employability skills. The students go into the trailer for the hands-on introduction to the trades. The program was completed with a work term at Devon. Conklin was so successful that the program was next delivered in Janvier.