LNG Canada has launched a province wide workforce development program aimed at attracting, recruiting, training, supporting and employing women to work in the construction trades on the LNG Canada Project.

“Women in British Columbia currently represent just under 5 per cent of a typical construction workforce, despite comprising 50 per cent of the working population,” said Andy Calitz, CEO of LNG Canada. “This lack of diversity is not a women’s issue, it is a workplace issue.”

The four week Your Place program is open to B.C. women 18 years or older, at all stages in their working life, whether entering the workforce for the first time, looking for a career change, or returning to the workforce after taking time off.

Your Place graduates will have a direct line to employment opportunities in an entry level position with prime contractor JGC Fluor or one of its subcontractors on the LNG Canada Project site in Kitimat, B.C.

To remove barriers for women considering a career in the trades, the LNG Canada Project will cover the costs of tuition, safety gear and learning materials for all participants, as well as airfare to and from the training in Kitimat and accommodation for participants from outside the local area.

Women with existing trades training or experience are also welcome to apply directly to JGC Fluor for employment as construction ramps up.

Women Building Futures (WBF), a non-profit organization that has championed women’s economic prosperity and success in the construction and maintenance industries for over 20 years, will develop and deliver the customized training.