July 10 2015, Ottawa, ON - The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) is joining the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) to open up nominations for two Skills Awards for Aboriginal Youth as part of an effort to encourage more Aboriginal workers to consider a career in the forest sector.

FPAC has handed out a skills award to a young Aboriginal person for the past three years.  However the new partnership with the CCFM means that two awards can now be handed out in 2015.

The two awards will honor First Nations, Metis or Inuit individuals with strong academic standing who are committed to their field of study and to a job in the forest sector. The awards, both worth $2500, are targeted at youth from 18 to 30 who are now enrolled in a post-secondary program.
“The forest products industry has a long history with Aboriginals as our neighbors and partners in rural forest communities,” says David Lindsay, President and CEO of FPAC. “We are trying to deepen that relationship as part of our Vision2020 initiative.”

Vision2020 has set the goal of refreshing the workforce with 60,000 new employees by the end of the decade with a special focus on Aboriginals, women and new Canadians.
“I would like to thank FPAC for partnering with the CCFM on opening up these awards for Aboriginal youth.” said the Honorable Bill Mauro, CCFM Chair and Ontario Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Nominations for the annual Skills Award for Aboriginal Youth will be open until October 16th. The two awards will be handed out at the Cando National Conference taking place on October 26th to 29th in Toronto.