Canada provides marine training for underrepresented groups

Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport of Canada, announced that the country is providing funding over three years to the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) to deliver a program to increase access to marine training courses for women, Northerners, Inuit and Indigenous people through the Oceans Protection Plan.

This $6.2 million in funding under the Oceans Protection Plan to BCIT will conduct a joint project with Camosun College to engage and consult with Indigenous communities to create a full scope of training to be delivered and provide options to deliver training in Indigenous communities.

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BCIT and Camosun will also cooperate with various industry partners, marine employers, and Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary to provide opportunities to work and gain experience at sea.

The Marine Training Program is part of the $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, the largest investment ever made to protect Canada’s coasts and waterways, and decreases barriers to marine training for underrepresented groups in the marine labour force, such as women, Northerners, Inuit and Indigenous peoples.

In the Oceans Protection Plan, work is being done in close collaboration with Inuit and Indigenous peoples, local stakeholders and coastal communities.

Speaking on the occasion, Marc Garneau said that Canada wants to maintain a well-trained marine labour force reflective of its diverse population.

BCIT is committed to providing flexible pathways to learning, to facilitating reskilling, and to improving learner access—particularly for underrepresented groups. This announcement will enable us to continue the important work of supporting Indigenous communities and students through delivery of skills training and providing opportunities to gain hands-on experience in the marine industry

Stated Kathy Kinloch, President, British Columbia Institute of Technology.