Employment, Education and Training

CEPA companies work closely with aboriginal communities and wherever possible, provide education, training and employment opportunities to local residents.

Employment

Pipeline companies encourage Aboriginal employment and business development opportunities in a variety of ways:

• breaking up big contracts to give smaller contractors, including aboriginal companies an opportunity to compete
• waiving bonding/insurance requirements where not absolutely necessary to complete the job
• requiring contractors to hire Aboriginal people as part of their labour force

Training and Education

Most pipeline operators offer, as part of their corporate social responsibility programs, education and training opportunities for interested and qualified Aboriginal people in communities located near pipelines.

One example is the Pipeline Operations Training Committee (POTC), a joint government/industry committee set up to develop and support training programs that “prepare northern residents for highly skilled professional level positions in the pipeline operations area.” Members of the POTC include the federal government, Government of the Northwest Territories, Mackenzie Gas Project proponents and Aurora College.