Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) are proud to open applications for the seventh annual Skills Awards for Aboriginal Youth program.
Since 2012, the Skills Award for Aboriginal Youth has been recognizing exceptional Aboriginal youth who go above and beyond to support their communities and contribute to the forest sector. In 2015, FPAC collaborated with CCFM to expand the program and offer two awards.
The two awards, each worth $2500, will honour First Nations, Métis or Inuit individuals with strong academic standing who are committed to their field of study and to pursuing a career in the forest sector.
“Aboriginal governments, communities, businesses and individuals play a huge role in the success of the forest sector” says Derek Nighbor, CEO, FPAC. “We must encourage youth to continue fostering relationships between communities and industry for the benefit of Canada’s forests for generations to come.”
“The participation of Indigenous youth is essential to the forest industry’s continued success,” says the Honourable Jim Carr, minister of Natural Resources Canada. “I encourage all Indigenous youth who have a passion for forestry to consider applying. Together, we can achieve great things as the forest industry moves toward a low-carbon future.”
Nominations for the annual Skills Awards for Aboriginal Youth will be open until March 31, 2018. The two awards will be presented at FPAC’s Forest Day in Ottawa on May 23, 2018.
Information on how to apply is available at http://www.fpac.ca/aboriginal/skills-award/ .