Education
March 30, 2009The following statement was
issued by the Honourable Joan Burke, Minister of Education. It was also
read in the House of Assembly:
Alberta Centennial Scholarship Winners
Announced
I am pleased to inform this Honourable House that the
25 recipients of this year�s Alberta Centennial Scholarships have been
selected. Under this scholarship program, established by the Alberta
Government in 2005, 25 scholarships valued at $2,005 are provided to
every province and territory in Canada.
Here in Newfoundland and Labrador, this government has
chosen to use these scholarships to encourage participation in the
skilled trades and more specifically, to increase participation among
females.
To this end, 17scholarships have been awarded to
females, with the remaining eight going to males. This builds on a
series of initiatives designed to increase female participation in
non-traditional trades. For example, approximately $400,000 has been
provided over the past two years to the IBEW to help bring more women to
the electrical trade. It is anticipated this contract will see 96 to 144
female electricians certified over the next several years.
A second contract valued at $100,000 was announced
last fall with the Carpenters Millwrights Union. With this funding, the
union has established an office of women in apprenticeship, and among
other activities, will establish a work placement program to ensure
women apprentices are finding the training they need to complete their
programs.
In addition, the Provincial Government has ensured the
Hebron Benefits Agreement included the development and implementation of
a Gender Equity and Diversity Program � the first time such a program
has been included in a benefits agreement in the province�s offshore.
In total, since 2006, the Provincial Government has
invested $53.8 million in the areas of apprenticeship, science and
technology, programming, training and infrastructure.
These scholarships support two goals of the Provincial
Government. They help students � which is a hallmark of this
administration � and they encourage female participation in skilled
trades. I congratulate each one of them and wish them all the best as
they move through their blocks and onto journeyperson status.