News Article

College of the North Atlantic (CNA) and Women in Resource Development Corporation (WRDC) celebrated the milestone of 50 offerings of the Orientation to Trades and Technology program today in St. John’s.
 
The OTT program was developed by WRDC and offered at various CNA campuses. The first OTT Program was delivered at the Bay St. George campus in October 1999 as a pilot project. Since that time, the program has been continually delivered throughout the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, producing more than 600 graduates.
 
OTT is designed to give women practical knowledge of natural resource-based industries. The program raises the awareness that challenging, high-paying jobs in the natural resource industries are available and attainable for women. Specifically, OTT is designed to provide a safe and supportive environment for women to explore trades and technology training programs.
 
"On behalf of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, I congratulate Women in Resource Development Corporation and College of the North Atlantic on their 50th graduating class from the Orientation to Trades and Technology program,” said the Honourable Charlene Johnson, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women. “Over the next 10 years, Newfoundland and Labrador is expecting a significant increase in the labour market with an anticipated 70,000 job openings predicted in all sectors of the economy. As a government, we are pleased to support Women in Resource Development Corporation to offer programs such as this one, which help women avail of the many opportunities associated with this boom in the province’s resource sector.”
 
For many women, OTT can be the first step toward an exciting, new and well-paying career. There are seven major components in the OTT program: academic; essential work skills; personal and professional development; hands-on skills development; exploration of the natural resource sector, labour market research and job shadowing.
 
“On behalf of Women in Resource Development Corporation, it is my sincere pleasure to acknowledge, recognize and celebrate the 50^th class offering of the Orientation to Trades and Technology program,” said Nicole Kieley, Executive Director of the WRDC. “Through this program and in partnership with College of the North Atlantic, WRDC has fostered an environment that enables women and young girls to explore and succeed in the natural resource based sectors of our province. Women are imagining themselves in roles that are economically empowering and that spark their personal passion and interest.
WRDC works to ensure that women are informed about existing programs, and encourages educational institutions to consider the specific needs of women in program design and delivery.
 
“College of the North Atlantic is extremely proud of its continued partnership with the Women in Resource Development Corporation and the significance surrounding today’s event,” said Ann Marie Vaughan, the college’s President and CEO. “We recognize the opportunities the OTT program offers women throughout Newfoundland and Labrador to explore and excel in the trades and technology sectors. The success of this program is two-fold; we have seen many OTT graduates continue their studies with the college in a number of fields, which increases their employability, while others have moved directly into a rewarding career opportunity.”
 
Although women’s representation in the trades and technology industry remains low, forecasted skilled labour shortages associated with the province’s large-scale projects have emphasized the need to raise female participation rates. 
 
“An important goal of the Hebron Project is to create a strong and diverse local workforce,” said Geoff Parker, Hebron Senior Project Manager and Vice President of ExxonMobil Canada Ltd, operator of the Hebron Project. “We believe supporting diversity is critical to the long term success of our industry, that is why we are a strong supporter of WRDC and the great work it does to increase the participation of women in the trades and technology sectors in Newfoundland and Labrador. We congratulate WRDC on today’s achievement.”
 
The WRDC was established to foster an environment that will increase the participation of women in the trades and technology sectors in Newfoundland and Labrador. WRDC is achieving this through the elimination of barriers that exclude or discourage women from seeking employment in these sectors. Its work includes: providing increased access to training for women; educating the general public; and developing policies that promote the involvement of women in the natural resource and trades/technical industries.
 
College of the North Atlantic is Newfoundland and Labrador’s public college. It is one of the largest post-secondary educational and skills training centres in Atlantic Canada, with a history dating back nearly 50 years. Today it has 17 campus locations throughout Newfoundland and Labrador and one in the Middle East State of Qatar. It offers nearly 100 full-time program offerings and more than 300 part-time courses to some 20,000 students each year in: Academics, Applied Arts, Business Studies, Health Sciences, Engineering Technology, Industrial Trades, Information Technology and Tourism & Natural Resources.
 
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Media contact:
 
Roger Hulan
Communications Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
(709) 643-7938
roger.hulan@cna.nl.ca