November 20, 1998
(Executive Council)

Funding announced to prepare women for offshore petroleum-related employment opportunities

Women are being encouraged to train for careers in the offshore petroleum industry through an Equity Fund announced today under the Offshore Skills Training Fund.

The $250,000 fund was announced today by Fred Mifflin, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, on behalf of Ralph Goodale, Minister of Natural Resources, with Newfoundland and Labrador ministers Charles Furey, Minister of Mines and Energy, and Julie Bettney, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women.

"With significant growth in the offshore sector, government must endeavour to increase opportunities for women to participate in this area," said Minister Mifflin. "Increased awareness and support will lead, we hope, to increased interest in this field with the ultimate result being higher numbers of women employed in this growing sector."

The objective of the Equity Fund is to encourage women to seek careers in offshore-related fields and to help reduce the barriers that women face when trying to enter a wider range of occupations. There are two components to the Equity Fund. The first component is a community-based program to increase women's representation in the industry. The second component includes grants of up to $3,000 for women who have been accepted for a training program in a petroleum-related trades or technology occupation.

The community-based program will focus on community outreach and educational activities to:

• raise awareness among women about petroleum related occupations;

• support women as they explore these occupations;

• work with training institutions and the petroleum industry to decrease systemic barriers;

• improve the training and working environments for women.

 

"The offshore sector is one of the most important growth sectors in Newfoundland and Labrador today, yet women continue to be seriously under-represented," said Minister Furey. "Through this initiative we want to increase opportunities for women in this province to participate in this important industry." In Newfoundland and Labrador, women were five per cent of those employed at the Hibernia construction site or those employed on the Hibernia oil rig.

The activities supported by the fund should improve the retention rate of women who enter these fields. As well, as more women enter and remain in the petroleum industry, they will become role models for young women who are considering their career options.

"The under-representation of women in the full range of occupations is one of the factors that contribute to women's economic inequality," added Minister Bettney. "Jobs in the petroleum industry tend to be relatively high paying and women should have access to these jobs. Since women have not traditionally worked in the oil and gas sector, they need to be supported and encouraged to seek careers in this industry."

The Equity Fund also benefits employers. With more trained workers, they have a larger pool of potential employees and access to the various talents that people from diverse backgrounds bring to the workplace.

The Offshore Skills Training Fund is funded through the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Development Fund which was established to help defray costs related to oil and gas development off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, allowing the province to benefit from offshore development activity.

Funding for this initiative was provided for in the 1998 federal budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework. This announcement is an example of how the Government of Canada is prioritizing its spending so that it can better serve Canadians by making efficient use of their tax dollars.

Media contact:

Tara Laing, Department of Mines and Energy, (709) 729-4890

Karen Kelloway, Department of Human Resources and Employment, (709) 729-4062

Duncan Smith, Natural Resources Canada, (613) 992-1001

Randy Devine, ACOA-NF Region, (709) 772-2935

1998 11 20      10 25: a.m.