Skills shortages in Canada’s petroleum industry addressed

The Canadian federal government has decided to inject $405,797 into the petroleum industry, now that its growth is anticipated to eclipse available skills and labour.

These funds will help support a project that gives small and medium businesses in the petroleum sector the necessary resources to recruit, retain and develop their workforce.

Devinder Shory, Member of Parliament for Calgary northeast, said that the goal is “to emerge from this economic downturn stronger than ever”. Council chief executive Cheryl Knight said that attracting and retaining skilled workers “will continue to be a concern, but especially in the areas we refer to as hard to recruit locations”. These areas include the oilsands and other areas in northern Alberta and Northern British Columbia.

According to Elizabeth Aquin, senior vice-president of the Petroleum Services Association of Canada, the program will be like having a virtual human resources department. The project will also be useful to Aquin’s membership, which represents about 18 different sectors.