TRAINING FOR NEW JOBS IN FORESTRY

Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training Minister Maynard Sonntag

today announced the second phase of the Forestry Sector Partnership to

help train local people for jobs in the forestry expansion.



"The biggest private sector job creation initiative in the history of

Saskatchewan, announced by Premier Roy Romanow on April 26th, will be

fully supported by human resource planning and training," Sonntag

said. "We will help industry identify the skills they will need. And

we will give local people the training opportunities and support they

need to obtain these new jobs in their communities."



Sonntag met today with the Forestry Sector Partnership Steering

Committee in Prince Albert to discuss how this expanded partnership

can help the industry and communities meet the increasing need for

skilled workers.



The initial Forestry Sector Partnership was started in the fall of

1998. It is a partnership of industry, training providers, First

Nations and Metis, government and other key stakeholders. The

partnership focuses on developing training approaches that address the

skilled employment needs of businesses and organizations involved with

the timberland operations and the manufacturing operations of the

value-added industries.



"To date, the Forestry Sector Partnership has identified training

and job opportunities in areas such as conventional and

mechanical harvesting equipment operators, mill equipment

operator, forestry technician, supervisors and labourers,"

Sonntag said. "The new projects will increase both the number

and the variety of job opportunities, and therefore expand the

need for training for local residents to help them prepare for

the new, good paying jobs that will be available."



The expansion of the forest industry is expected to create almost

10,000 new jobs over the next few years. With the announcement

of the major expansion of the forestry sector, the Forestry

Sector Partnership will grow to include the new project

developers. This will ensure an accurate assessment of what

skills industry needs, when, and how many people will be needed

with those skills. In the past two years Post-Secondary

Education and Skills Training and its training partners, SIAST

and Northlands College, has provided training to approximately

400 people in forest related occupations through programs such as

JobStart/Future Skills.



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For more information, contact:



Wayne McElree

Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training

Regina

Phone: (306) 787-2093