Skills training program targets Northern Ontarians

A $39-million, three-year skills training program targeting Northern Ontarians should put people back to work, says the province’s Aboriginal Affairs minister.

Chris Bentley on Thursday in Thunder Bay announced that the first round of applications for the Northern Training Partnership Fund were being accepted, aimed at redirecting out-of-work Northerners into resource-related sectors like energy, mining and forestry.

In particular First Nation and Metis workers will be targeted, Bentley said, adding that in order to be eligible a collaboration between industry and Aboriginal or Northern communities and organizations must be in place.

"It helps communities build prosperity. We have enormous resource-based opportunities here," Bentley said, making the announcement at Contact North’s Alloy Drive office.

Businesses, communities and other organizations will be able to identify jobs, which they need to train people for and the money will be provided in part through the program and in part through the business.

"Whether it’s the Ring of Fire, whether it’s the infrastructure that will support that, whether they’re forestry related (that’s what we’re looking at). What we want to do is build on our other training programs, $1.3 billion worth. We want to be able to actually fund the training of individual members for actual jobs," Bentley said.

Chief Pierre Pelletier of the Red Rock Indian Band said he sees tremendous potential for the program in an area hard-hit by the economic downturn.

Pelletier’s band members were among hundreds of workers who lost their jobs in 2006, when Norampac shuttered its container-board mill, and 2007, when a fire ripped through the Multiply Forest Products.

"For just a couple of initiatives we have out there right now, with our partnership in the windmill project and hopefully our project with the sawmill, this will benefit (us) greatly," Pelletier said. "It will give us the opportunity to partner with people, along with training, that will give jobs at the end of the day, which is huge."

First consideration will be given to those living next door to the resources, Bentley added, hence the Aboriginal and Metis focus.

But the program, which will be accepting applications for its first round through Sept. 10, will be open to everyone, he said.

MPP Bill Mauro (Lib., Thunder Bay-Atikokan) said the province’s second-career program has graduated nearly 30,000 people, and this one, while owning a narrower focus, will provide more of the same.

"As a government, we believe coming tremendous economic growth, related not only to the Ring of Fire, but to other mining opportunities and resource-based opportunities … and this is about specific skills for specific jobs and preparing people who otherwise wouldn’t be prepared or eligible for some of that work."

Applications for the program can be found at the Ministry of Training, Colleges and University website.