Photo: Contributed

Funding is at hand to help 16 people find work in the Revelstoke and Shuswap areas.

The Province is committing $749,872 to help unemployed people find forestry jobs through a paid training opportunity with Okanagan College.

The funding will give up to 16 people in Revelstoke and the Shuswap areas 16 weeks of paid training in the forestry sector and 10 weeks of on-the-job work experience with local forest operators to prepare them for full-time employment.

Under the guidance of Okanagan College, participants will be trained in areas such as tree falling, machine work, forestry technology and risk management, as well as personal employment attributes including conflict resolution, interviewing and job search skills.  

In a 2015 labour market survey of Revelstoke funded by the Province, forestry employers showed a need for trained workers to step into open positions. This project will help employers fill those jobs. Local employers have partnered to provide job-placement opportunities, such as Sk’atsin Resources, Schiller Contracting, Adams Lake Indian Band and Two Guys Logging.