Northern students are invited to attend the province's second annual Liquefied Natural Gas conference.
The LNG industry represents revenue and employment opportunities all over the province, but it is carried out entirely in the northeastern quadrant of B.C. In order for youth to attend the conference and learn about this sector - the economic benefits, public consultation requirements, the engineering and mechanical elements, and the environmental impacts - the provincial government is providing a cash incentive.
"For northern students, a lot of these LNG jobs will be in their backyards," said Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training Shirley Bond. "So we want to make sure we're connecting them with the training opportunities and information they need to be first in line for rewarding careers in their own communities."
According to Minister of Education Peter Fassbender, the development of the LNG sector will require skilled labour, and the demand will be felt most strongly in the north.
"Northern school districts, in particular, are encouraged to bring their secondary students to this unique opportunity. The province will provide up to $400 per student to help offset transportation costs," said Fassbender. "The future benefits of the LNG industry will impact the entire province and we want to make sure that all Grade 10, 11 and 12 students in B.C. have a chance to experience this exciting event and possibly map out their future careers."
The program will give the student participants a chance to learn the general structure of the industry, the jobs it would specifically employ, hands-on experience driving heavy equipment and welding simulators, as well as an overview of the post-secondary options for each of the possible jobs.
The conference is being held May 21 to 23 in Vancouver.
