“BEAHR is now looking for ESA experts, ESA trainers and Aboriginal community members to participate in regional focus groups to assist in the development of these standards,” Carolyn Holbrow, BEAHR’s Manager of Training Programs. “It’s important to document the knowledge and skills required for ESA employment, and to provide increased opportunities for Aboriginal communities to participate.”
The first phase of the project, completed in September 2006, was to document the competencies of Environmental Site Assessment Assistants. BEAHR’s next step is to document and validate these standards nationally, and then to complete an online ratification process by May 2007.
“Many current and future development projects will require a commitment on behalf of industry to hire local people as a part of access and benefit agreements,” says Holbrow. “Aboriginal organizations have indicated that they would like to form joint ventures with ESA professional consultants and participate in ESA activities on or near their lands.”
Find out more! To get involved, please call 1-800-842-9958 or bli@beahr.com.
BEAHR, which started in 2001, is a partnership between ECO Canada and AHRDCC (the Aboriginal Human Resource Development Council of Canada). This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada. BEAHR is committed to increasing Aboriginal employment in the environmental sector through career awareness, the provision of training and employment resources, and recognition of environmental excellence.