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Prince George Free Press
Friday, May 16, 2014
“I look at Northern Gateway and see a project that will build families and communities for generations. That’s what I’m most proud of.” - Catherine Pennington, Senior Manager, Community Benefits & Sustainability
Meet the expert: Catherine Pennington spearheads our community benefits and sustainability initiatives which include education and skills development. For over 10 years, she has lived and worked in Northern B.C. with First Nation and Métis communities, creating partnerships and programs that focus on improving employment and social outcomes for the long term.
We at Northern Gateway are committed to ensuring that jobs and business opportunities will be available to people living near the Project’s right-of-way.
IT ALL ADDS UP TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT In Catherine’s experience, removing barriers to employment has a huge impact – not just on individual job seekers, but on their communities as well. When you connect someone to a job, you also build individual and social pride, enhanced connections, dignity and ultimately, stronger sustainable communities. “As a trained social worker with experience in community development, I have found it very rewarding to work in Industry. You have the opportunity to create really meaningful outcomes that are mutually beneficial. Our model of shared responsibility for working with communities is unique and is being emulated by other companies.”
DEDICATED TO MEANINGFUL ABORIGINAL INCLUSION Catherine connects willing job seekers with existing and emerging opportunities. She is focused on helping the Project meet its goal of having Aboriginal people comprise 15 per cent of the construction workforce. “Many Northern communities are experiencing or have experienced desperate cycles of poverty, in part due to a lack of the necessary skills for the existing employment opportunities. I believe people in Northern and North Western B.C. have yet to fully realize their enormous potential. By actively investing in better education and skills training, opportunities for advancement and connections to good, steady jobs, we know we can make a real difference.”
SUCCESS ACROSS THE NORTH We have held discussions with numerous training providers, colleges, universities and employment service providers in Northern B.C. to identify programming needs to help Aboriginal and local people take advantage of the surge in energy projects in the region. We have also worked to tailor programming to the needs of individual communities. “Fundamentally, there’s nothing more powerful than helping someone make that connection to employment, because it leads to a larger, more positive and healthier social outcome.” As a company and a neighbour, we want to see Northern residents get the best opportunities because that benefits us all. It’s how we will build more than a safer, better pipeline, we will help build a better B.C.
Learn more at gatewayfacts.ca
Working in partnership with B.C. and Alberta First Nations and Métis Communities, and leading energy companies in Canada
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