SLAAMB

My name is Arnold Gardner and I started working for SLAAMB on October 14, 2008 as the Hydro One Employment Coordinator.

Over the past few months, SLAAMB has been involved in an exciting new partnership with Hydro One Networks in relation to their apprenticeship programs. SLAAMB agreed to promote Hydro One’s apprenticeship programs in SLAAMB area communities and five other First Nations affiliated through SLAAMB’s Centre for Aboriginal Apprenticeship Research trades project.

The project is called Hydro One Aboriginal Workforce Development Initiative. The Sioux lookout Area Aboriginal Management Board is provided with funding from Hydro One Networks to implement this project.

Project Update:

The project has been extended to accommodate community visits not yet completed. Between the months of February 2008 and September 2008, 15 communities have been visited. Interim project reviews were completed on June 23, 2008 and November 13, 2008. The interim project review team consisted of members from the Power Workers Union, Hydro One and SLAAMB.

A total of 37 candidates have applied for consideration in all programs. Sixteen candidates are applying for the power-line technician apprenticeship and 21 candidates applied for the utility arborist apprenticeship.

A significant percentage of applicants do not meet the overall qualification requirements. Nine may meet the overall minimum qualification requirements. Fourteen others may meet the academic requirements, but they do not have a driver’s license. Fourteen applicants do not meet the academic requirements and will need academic upgrading. Eight candidates in this category have a valid driver’s license.

The project has not received an application from any candidate with power-line work experience or significant experience as a utility arborist. The project surveyed a majority of the fly-in communities whose power utilities are either locally operated or Hydro One operated to determine whether they had people in the community with experience as powerline technicians and utility arborist. All the communities contacted indicated any repairs, construction and maintenance required to power-lines is performed by bringing in a power line technician and skills in this area is not transferred to local residents by whoever is performing the work. In exceptional circumstances, the local plant operator will disconnect a power line from a house or pole.

Utility forester experience for power-line right of ways and vegetation management is limited. The communities indicated that this type of work is normally very short term and not required annually. Quite often, the work is not assigned to the same people, making accumulated experience difficult to achieve. We do however have one candidate who has worked as a brush cutter for railways for seven years.

Most of the candidates have indicated they were willing to work for Hydro One after completing program requirements. The majority of the applicants have indicated they would prefer the central training and placements to take place closer to home. Those who have inquired about the project often cite moving away from home as a barrier to applying for any of the programs.

Apart from the visits to northern communities, the project has also been promoted by CAAR through a career fair in March 2008, a Job Fair in June 2008, and a presentation to a local First Nation High School. These promotions have been successful in getting some candidates to submit their application or, at the very least, inquire further about the project.