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| Original News Release |
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| Original News Release |
Expanded Student Spaces
Government will add 250 new seats by 2010 to Northern Lights College.
Over the next three years, the new seats will be funded from the $105 million government has committed to expand post-secondary access throughout B.C. Funds for the remaining seats will be allocated in future budget processes.
The college will determine the programs and campuses to which the seats will be added, but it is anticipated that it will build on its current strengths and high demand programs, such as oil and gas training.
The estimated cost for students to live away from home is $6,000 per year. By making more seats available for students close to home, government’s aim is to make post-secondary education more accessible and affordable for Northern families.
Oil and Gas Training and Education Consortium
· The British Columbia (BC) Oil and Gas Education and Training Consortium will provide advice and recommendations to the Ministry of Advanced Education (AVED) and the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) in developing a strategy for training workers for B.C.’s oil and gas industry.
· This provincial strategy will identify potential skills shortages and develop recruitment, retention and training initiatives that support the oil and gas industry to invest for the long term in B.C. The initial priority of the consortium will be to address the skills training and labour needs for the exploration and production of conventional reserves in the northeast region of B.C.
· However, the consortium will also ensure a strategic approach to the emerging human resource needs associated with conventional reserves in other regions and unconventional reserves such as coal bed methane and offshore exploration and production.
· The consortium’s proposed terms of reference are to:
1. Analyse the labour force requirements for the BC oil and gas industry; 2. Work with industry to meet new and ongoing training and education requirements, including co-operative education work placements and apprenticeships, through the network of institutions offering trades, technical and university-level programming; and 3. Ensure emerging programs maximize effectiveness and efficiency, in order to meet the education and training needs of industry at present and in the future.
· The Consortium will initially be chaired by Jim Kassen, President of Northern Lights College, and will draw membership from senior-level representatives from the following groups:
Oil and Gas Industry Associations/Organizations Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors Petroleum Services Association of Canada Northern Society of Oilfield Contractors & Service Firms Northern Rockies Region Chamber of Commerce Small Explorers and Producers Association of Canada Canadian Association of Geophysical Contractors Canadian Energy Pipeline Association Petroleum Human Resource Council Canada Major corporation representation (on advice from CAPP)
Aboriginal Community Representation To be determined
Post-Secondary Institutions British Columbia Institute of Technology Northern Lights College University of Northern British Columbia
Provincial Government Ministry of Advanced Education / Industry Training Authority Ministry of Energy and Mines -30- For information on AchieveBC, visit http://www.achievebc.ca.
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