Northern Lights School Division has been given the go-ahead to build the province's first ever service rig training centre after receiving $1.565-million from the federal government.
Michelle Rempel, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification, announced the investment to enhance NLSD's Trades Exposure Program last week in Edmonton.
The federal funding has been made available through the Canadian governments Western Diversification Program (WDP) and will go towards the purchase of specialized equipment, building renovations and upgrades, as well as site preparations that will enable the development for the one-of-a-kind service rig training centre.
“When you look at the criteria we have this project checked a lot of boxes,” said Rempel. “The project brought together industry and a capacity for students for jobs and Northern Lights School Division's depth of talent to be able to deliver this program. It was sort of a win, win, win situation. We were really excited about the project.”
This past year saw the federal government change the WDP to a call-for-proposals model, in which it started accepting submissions. The criteria on which the applications where judged includes: skills training, innovations, industrial technology benefits, trades investment and ensuring the economic participation of First Nations communities.
Approximately 30 per cent of NLSD's student population is Aboriginal. This means that over the course of the next three years a total of 1,350 high schools students from nine First Nations communities will have the opportunity to access the trades training through the Trades Exposure program. This fact, along with NLSD's lengthy and successful track record were two of the main reasons why the government chose them for the investment of $1.5-million.
“NLSD came in saying they had a track record of delivering programs like this and being able to work well with industry on delivering programs,” said Rempel. “We never really got an applicant of project that had that type of track record. It is important.”
The new training centre will be the first of its kind in Alberta and will feature a new online simulator that will provide rural and remotely located students with access to learning.
“The service rig training centre will allow us to expand our Trades Exposure Program, which gives our students the opportunity to earn high school credits while earning the certifications and work experience they need to pursue a career in the trades after graduation,” said Arlene Hrynyk, Board Chair for NLSD. “This program helps meet the needs of our students, who have requested more hands-on learning opportunities in the trades, and the labour needs of our region.”
The $1.5-million is not a grant for NLSD. The government has instead made a contribution agreement with the Division, which will see NLSD be reimbursed for $1.5-million after they have already spent the money to build the training centre.
Also contributing to the project is Ensign Well Servicing, who has been working with NLSD for the past 35 years. The company will be donating a service rig and helping with the construction of the training centre.
“With the donations of this service rig, Ensign hopes to provide your people in the area with hands-on experience in order to strengthen both their interest in our opportunities and their knowledge of the career opportunities that exist within it,” said William Kidd, GM of Ensign Energy Services Inc.
