Supercom Industries, Anishinabek training centre receive money for upgrading, training and job readiness programs

The province has committed nearly $2 million towards Indigenous job training and skilled trades development for two projects in northwestern Ontario.

Supercom Industries received $1.5 million for training and “upskilling” its new and current 172 employees in heavy equipment operation, mechanical harvesting, commercial truck driving, tower assembly and construction.

The money is coming through SkillsAdvance Ontario, a provincial project dedicated to workforce development is key sectors such as steel and aluminum, manufacturing, logistics, tourism and hospitality and forestry.

Supercom is working with Nextbridge Infrastructure on constructing the 450-kilometre-long East-West Tie transmission line between Wawa and Thunder Bay.

The organization is a contracting and training joint venture run by six First Nation communities on the north shore of Lake Superior across whose traditional land the power line project will cross.

It consists of the First Nation communities of Fort William, Red Rock, Pays Plat, Biigtigong Nishnaabeg, Pic Mobert, and Michipicoten First Nations.

Nextbridge Infrastructure is a project-specific coalition of NextEra Energy Canada, Enbridge and OMERS Infrastructure established to build the East-West Tie.

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Energy projects like the East-West Tie are being looked up as helping to develop a home-grown skilled labour pool in northwestern Ontario for future regional infrastructure projects.

This SkillsAdvance Ontario project will offer multiple training opportunities to job seekers, and re-skilling chances to the incumbent workers, consequently changing their and their families' lives, and overall positively impacting the economy and communities' well-being in Northern Ontario," said Cris Serban, Supercom president-CEO, in a statement.

Thunder Bay’s Anishinabek Employment and Training Service Centre (AETS) received nearly $500,000 for two pre-apprenticeship training projects involving 35 Indigenous people in high demand trades such as carpentry, welding, and drywall, acoustic and lathing application.

Another $250,000 is going to the training centre to be earmarked for job readiness training, level-one construction/carpentry training and an eight-week placement in the construction and carpentry sectors. That money is coming from the Indigenous Economic Development Fund.

“Our government knows employers are looking for people ready to help fill vacancies in the Thunder Bay area," said Energy, Northern Development and Mines, and Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford.

"By funding projects like this, we're giving people in this community the chance to put their skills to work in good, permanent jobs."

Pre-apprenticeship training programs are free, last up to one year, and often combine classroom training with an eight to 12-week work placement.

"These apprenticeship training opportunities along with our partnerships, will provide First Nation citizens with the stepping stones to build skills and gain knowledge needed to realize their career goals," said John DeGiacomo, AETS executive director.