New initiative to provide opportunities for Aboriginals in Canada
October 27, 2010 - A recent program has emerged from a consortium of Aboriginal organizations, Aboriginal businesses, Post-Secondary Institutions, private sector businesses and the environmental sector council, ECO Canada, all looking to increase the environmental employment capacity within the Aboriginal population.
Funded in part by the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership program (ASEP) and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) the Contaminates Remediation Training Organization of Canada (CRTOC) is currently accepting applications from industry and trainers interested in securing funds for training in areas related to contaminated sites assessment, remediation and monitoring. This unique opportunity can provide up to 50% of the funding for formal and on-the-job training as well as a job coach to act as a resource to the employer and trainees.
"The CRTOC will encourage employers and the Aboriginal community to work together to develop a competent contaminates sites workforce for the future. The skills and knowledge acquired by the Aboriginal participants will be transferable to other sectors of the economy when the contaminated sites activities have been completed. It is a win-win situation for all partners" says Grant Trump, President and CEO of ECO Canada
So far there are two major training facilities which have been granted funds from the CRTOC program. These include the Det’on Cho Training and Conference Centre and Aboriginal Engineering Ltd.
Det’on Cho is the economic development organization of Yellowknife’s Dene First Nation, and is dedicated to creating prosperity for its members. The Det’on Cho Training and Conference Centre is home to 16 different training programs several of which have benefited from the CRTOC funding project.
Aboriginal Engineering Ltd. (AEL) began operations in 1995 and is currently operating under the majority ownership of Dogrib Trustco. AEL offers technical, professional and logistical experience in executing Northern remediation projects and typically maintains 85% Aboriginal employment during project work. AEL strives to build community capacity by offering a variety of training courses to community members.
To find out more about the CRTOC program email crtoc@eco.ca or call (403)233-0748.
