Sault College is the recipient of $1.79 million in provincial funding, which will go towards the establishment of programs to provide First Nations students with employment skills in renewable energy.
With this funding, projects will be undertaken with regional partners from the Aboriginal community. Participants will be provided with employability and employment readiness skills, academic preparation as well as with valuable transferable skills training, accreditation and certification through a selection of green training initiatives.
Partnering First Nation communities include M’Chigeeng First Nation, Batchewana First Nation, and Garden River First Nation.
“This innovative project will lead to the creation of jobs in our region, which greatly enhances the ability of First Nation communities to respond to the need for increased skills in the green construction and renewable energies sector,” Carolyn Hepburn, director of Native Education and Academic Upgrading at Sault College, in a news release. “Not only are we working in partnership, but Sault College is tailoring programming delivery to better meet the needs of our learners. Working collaboratively, this initiative will assist in supporting our First Nation communities in developing a skilled workforce in the new clean and green economy.”
Today’s renewable energy-related funding announcement comes on the heels of a Feb. 2 visit by Energy Minister Chris Bentley, who commended the work of staff and students involved in leading-edge renewable energies and green construction techniques.
“Sault College is an education destination for Aboriginal students around the province,” college president Ron Common said in the release. “We are committed to serving even larger number of Aboriginal learners in the years ahead, and this plan reflects that strategic direction.”
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