Old Massett Memorandum of Understanding puts the focus on apprenticeships

A successful Memorandum of Understanding signing took place in Old Massett on Wednesday.

The Old Massett Village Council (OMVC) and Industry Training Authority (ITA) were the pair of parties involved in the memorandum (MOU). Under the agreement, the OMVC will now be able to embark on a number of projects meant to boost economic opportunity in the area. This includes sponsoring apprentices on local projects, fostering this apprenticeship program through an appropriate cultural approach and increasing employment options in the community.

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“I think this is a great project to help us meet our training needs in our Village and Nation to create employment opportunities,” Duffy Edgars, chief of the OMVC, said. “By investing in our community with local training opportunities, we are creating a stronger future for ourselves.”

The OMVC will ensure that Old Massett’s Community Benefits Agreement is adhered to by contractors to make sure that they hire registered apprentices. OMVC will also be repsonsible for said registration, and tracking of hours.

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“Fostering an environment that gives Indigenous people more control over — and success in — trades training and apprenticeship is an essential part of our journey towards reconciliation,” Michael Cameron, director of Indigenous Initiatives with ITA, said. “We’re confident that this will attract new and different contractors and urge those that haven’t been working with First Nations employers to work with them.”