BURSTAs industrial development continues to expand on Ridley Island, a new training program is working to prepare area residents for long-term careers in Prince Rupert’s energy sector.
On April 1, 14 students began AltaGas’s 10-month Operator Training Program (OTP), a paid initiative designed to prepare regional workers for future roles at the Ridley Island Energy Export Facility (REEF).
The program, delivered in partnership with Coast Mountain College and the College of New Caledonia, includes classroom instruction, hands-on training, safety certifications, and mentorship.
Upon completion, participants will earn their Fourth Class Power Engineer certification, an industry-recognized credential used in industrial operations.
“This program is about creating real opportunities for people in the communities where we operate,” said Derek Vallee, AltaGas general manager of export operations.
The program builds on a similar training model introduced during the Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal (RIPET) project. The earlier intake reported an 80 percent graduation rate, with six graduates remaining with the company and others advancing into operational roles.
Program partners say that by connecting education directly to employment, the program gives local learners a clear pathway to the skills and credentials needed to build lasting careers in their own community.
“The current intake includes 14 participants, nine of whom identified as Indigenous. All participants are from the local region. In a previous cohort, 65 percent of participants identified as Indigenous,” said Vallee.
The REEF project, now more than 70 percent complete, is expected to expand Canada’s propane export capacity and continue ongoing employment opportunities in the North. Developed through a partnership between AltaGas and Vopak, the project includes mutual benefit agreements signed with six First Nations in the region: Lax Kw’alaams, Metlakatla, Gitga’at, Gitxaała, Kitselas, and Kitsumkalum, aimed at encouraging long-term economic participation.
More than $839 million has been directed to Canadian-based suppliers for the REEF project, the company says, with approximately $395 million awarded to Indigenous-owned and affiliated businesses, representing more than 25 per cent of total project spending.