Trades jobs are coming the Terrace area in droves, and that is the focus of a trades fair put on by Northwest Community College today.
Industry leaders are hosting booths at NWCC’s Terrace campus today until 4 p.m. to talk about what employment opportunities are here or coming within various industrial sectors in B.C.’s northwest region.
The college also has information there about programs offered to ready prospective employees for trades jobs.
By the day’s end, almost three hundred people are expected to have attended.
“We have never seen activity in our area the likes of which we have now,” said Margo Van der Touw, NWCC’s dean of trades, continuing education and industry training. “It’s our time.”
The purpose of the day is to “get people pumped” about job opportunities coming to the region said Van der Touw, adding that exposure to NWCC programs which ready for employment in trades is also key.
And trades training can also count as university credits at some universities in the province, she said.
“Your red seal basically counts as credits,” she said.
Red seal is a trades certification that shows a nationally recognized level of skill.
At the fair, various booths were set up to talk about the array of opportunities in trades and professional positions that are either here, or planned for the future with northwestern industrial activity.
Attending the event were representatives from Ridley Terminals Inc., a crown corporation which will be hiring positions for the expansion of a bulk handling terminal in Prince Rupert.
“We expect to be completed by the first quarter of 2013,” said corporate affairs manager Michelle Bryant, adding up to 23 jobs are expected to be created throughout that time.
Seabridge Gold, a mining and exploration company that’s working near Stewart, said as it is in the later exploration phase of its project it is now looking at local skills training to ready people for upcoming jobs.
“Our company goal is to train and hire locally,” said Elizabeth Miller, manager of environmental affairs.
She pointed out that many jobs would come with the opening of a mine, which won’t be up and running until final approval has gone through, but that now is the time to look at training and worker preparation.
“We really want to encourage people that there is opportunity out there,” she said. “These occupations would transfer between projects.”
Other industry attending include Smithers Exploration Group, Rio Tinto Alcan, Bechtel, and Progressive Ventures.
