Hydro Northern
Training Initiative
Training and Employment Opportunities |
About The Initiative | Goals
of the Initiative | The Northern Development
Strategy
Training and Employment Opportunities:
Hydroelectric Generating Station Construction in Northern Manitoba
Manitoba Hydro has announced plans for two new hydroelectric generating
stations (GS) in Northern Manitoba: Wuskwatim GS on the Burntwood
River and Gull (Keeyask) GS on the Nelson River. The proposed hydroelectric
projects represent approximately $4.0B in construction costs. Over
2,000 jobs are projected at peak construction. It is estimated that
the effort will contribute up to $2.0B to the national Gross Domestic
Product with one half of this amount accruing to Manitoba.
These projects (and possibility a third major project, Conawapa),
have the potential for up to 20 years of direct/indirect employment
for northern Aboriginal Manitobans and for other economic spin-offs.
About The Hydro Northern Training
and Employment Initiative:
In order to capture employment and economic opportunities for northern
Aboriginal people, and in particular those First Nations in proximity
of the two proposed projects, funding to support the Initiative
is being provided as follows:
Chart
Legend:
WED - Western Economic Diversification
INAC - Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
HRSDC - Human Resources Skills Development Canada
This $60.3M multi-year Initiative will train and prepare over 1,000
Aboriginal residents for 800 hydro construction and related employment
opportunities. The Initiative will run from 2001/02 – 2008/09.
$22.0M of the federal contribution is through the Aboriginal Skills
and Employment Partnership (ASEP).
It is the first large scale Aboriginal human resource strategy
in northern Manitoba to be planned, designed and implemented by
northern Aboriginal Partners to prepare their members for employment
opportunities on the projects and related opportunities.
Goals of the Initiative:
- prepare northern Aboriginals with the knowledge and skills needed
for employment on the construction projects planned in northern
Manitoba and on other major Manitoba construction projects
- lever opportunities on hydroelectric projects for long term
community development
- support the development of northern businesses and community
ventures by providing products and services to the hydroelectric
projects
The Northern Development Strategy:
The Hydro Northern Training and Employment Initiative is a key
platform of the government’s Northern Development Strategy
- a long term plan to develop the human and natural resources of
northern Manitoba. The education and training objectives of the
strategy are to (a) increase high school completions (b) better
align training to northern labour market opportunities and (c) ensure
that Northerners get jobs in the North.
Through other priority areas such as health, housing, transportation
and economic development, the Strategy seeks to create opportunities
for social and economic changes to benefit all northern Manitobans.
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