When it comes to support for both the forest industry and the advancement of career opportunities for Indigenous people, the Government of Saskatchewan’s intentions are clearcut. Aligned with Saskatchewan’s growth plan goal of increasing Indigenous participation in the natural resource industry, the province is investing in the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) to deliver two training initiatives to address workforce needs and grow the Indigenous workforce in the forestry sector. The announcement was made at SIIT in Meadow Lake last Wednesday (June 5).
“There are really two components to what we’re announcing here today,” Meadow Lake MLA and minister of immigration and career training Jeremy Harrison remarked. “The province is investing $505,000 overall – this is new money, new allocation to SIIT. Of that, $400,000 will go toward the Log Haul Step program. Really what this is going to enable is learners to get their hours. They can get their 980 hours in and become a fully accredited log haul driver. This is a challenge. It’s a lot of time to get behind the wheel, so we wanted to create the smoothest path possible for learners to get to that point in what is a very in-demand occupation right now.” SIIT delivers programs that reflect current labour market needs of Saskatchewan’s Indigenous communities. The Forestry Log Haul Step program, as Harrison mentioned, will support up to 20 individuals in gaining the 980 hours of experience required to become a fully licensed log haul driver. SIIT will assist new drivers in finding employment opportunities and establishing connections with employers in the forestry sector. “I really want to take my hat off to those who are behind the wheel every day and doing so safely,” Harrison continued. “There are 200-plus trucks coming through Meadow Lake every day and our drivers do a great job of putting safety first and moving that product around the province and, ultimately, around the world.”
Meanwhile, an additional $100,000 will go toward Simlog simulators. “This will be part of our JobConnections bus SIIT runs, and will give those who are looking at different career options the opportunity to see firsthand in a simulated setting what a career in the forestry sector could look like,” Harrison said. “We want to thank our partners – Tolko Industries, Mistik Management and others – who have been a part of this for their involvement. In general, about forestry, this is a hugely important industry for Meadow Lake and northwest Saskatchewan… It’s a genuine success story… It is really the model for how we have moved forward in terms of increasing Indigenous participation in the labour market and actually having economic growth in this province led by First Nations.”
According to a recent provincial news release, the Government of Saskatchewan works directly with Indigenous organizations and communities to identify opportunities and pathways that help increase Indigenous participation in the economy. With multiple career and trades training centres and mobile job connection units around the province, SIIT will continue to expand its provincial impact. “This is how we’re actually going to develop this province going forward, and it’s how it has to develop going forward – partnering with SIIT, partnering with companies that are doing such great work in this space and driving that growth,” Harrison noted. “But, how do we pay for these things? That’s the end of the sentence. We pay for this because, through working with our partners, we’ve increased the value of our exports to more than $50 billion last year, and forestry is a big part of that… That is how you are able to pay for programs like this one. That’s why we’re on these trade missions, why we work with governments from around the world to be able to sell our exports at a better price. At the end of the day, that means more resources for people in this province to get training, to build hospitals, to build schools. That’s why we do it. This is going to make a big difference for a lot of people.”
Also on hand for last week’s announcement was Marc Longjohn Okihcihtaw, SIIT’s director of career centres. “This is a great announcement,” Okihcihtaw said. “I see this as a great value and an investment in our future, in our kids and in our great-grandchildren. If I can use one word to sum up our career centre, it’s relationships. We see that today by our partners investing. They see the value in the work we do and the work we put into our people… This will have a generational impact. This is the legacy we’re going to leave as a group when we walk out of this door being part of something successful.”
Last week’s gathering at SIIT was emceed by Robert Follett, general manager of Mistik Management Ltd. “This investment will help bridge existing skill gaps and cultivate a more diverse and inclusive workforce,” Follett said. “We are excited to see the positive impact it will have on our province, and especially in our community.” The investments into the Log Haul Step program and Simlog Simulators support the provinces recently released Building the Workforce for a Growing Economy: the Saskatchewan Labour Market Strategy. In the strategy the province outlines how it is ensuring Saskatchewan has the labour force needed to meet employer demand and ensure that Saskatchewan people have the first opportunity to benefit from the province’s growing economy.