The first step came in the form of a co-op apprenticeship program developed by Keyano College in Fort McMurray. Youth looking to enter the trades at the time faced a difficult bind: apprentices were usually expected to be indentured with an employer, but many employers were hesitant to take on the challenge of developing unskilled workers. The coop program allowed apprentices to work at a variety of employers throughout their training, rather than being taken under the wing of a single company. There was little doubt that these apprentices would find full-time employment once they received a journeyman ticket, given the value of the skills they were bringing to the workforce, Newell says. By 1995, Syncrude agreed to develop a two-year pilot version of CAREERS to prove the organization’s potential. At the end of the pilot, it 32
was already operating in 13 communities around the province despite its small staff. Clearly, there was some demand for the organization’s services. CAREERS was officially founded in 1997, and since then it has expanded its mandate from skilled trades to include fields like health and technology. It has developed programs to support young women in the trades and helped build new career pathways for Aboriginal youth. According to its 2016 annual report, it has helped 24,976 student interns since 1997. Between apprenticeships, career fairs, and other initiatives, the organization has likely reached 500,000 young people over the years, Newell estimates. It is now active in over 500 schools in nearly 300 communities. Newell also takes some pride in knowing that 10 per cent of the apprentices are Aboriginal, although he believes that number could be even OILSANDS BANQUET XI