Oil and gas opportunities open

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Looking for work? Try oil and gas services. On Oct. 20, the Metis Nation of Alberta (MNA) formed a joint venture with three oil and gas service companies to give Aboriginal Albertans jobs.

Peace Mountain Projects Limited, BFL Energy Services Limited, and Debolt Contracting Limited signed a contract with the MNA, pledging to draw 25 per cent of their employees from the local Aboriginal workforce.

The MNA is responsible for positing the job listings and recruiting personnel. The venture, called the Aboriginal Energy Services Group (AESG), is a two-year contract with the possibility of renewal for another two years.

Although the MNA launched the project, Larry Doupe, a consultant for the AESG, said the jobs are for all Aboriginal Albertans.

"When we go into an area, the first thing we look for is Aboriginal people. We're sort of status blind. It doesn't matter whether they're Metis necessarily or First Nation," said Doupe.

The minister of economic development for the MNA, Karen Collins said, "AESG anticipates securing contracts valued in the range of $250,000 to $5 million over the next two years." This deal would give the Aboriginal community an economic boost and an increased presence in the oil and gas industry.

Early this year, Metis Nation member James Buchanan approached the MNA and three companies in the energy sector to secure employment for Aboriginal people in Alberta. Tired of unfulfilled election promises to get Metis people working, Buchanan felt that it was time to do something about it himself.

"We don't have enough, I think, Metis entrepreneurs, [or] big enough companies to do the employment like these guys can," said Buchanan, now the manager of business development for the AESG.

Buchanan said he hopes the venture will lead to the creation of Aboriginal-owned and operated energy service companies by providing Aboriginal people with the necessary training and experience.

Bill Blach, the owner of Peace Mountain Projects, is very happy with the agreement.

"I've been chasing this for years but ... the opportunity has [never] come up to put it together as good as it came together now." Blach said that as long as the project gets off the ground, then it is a win-win situation for both the energy industry and Aboriginal Albertans.

"The only thing we have to do now is the oil companies have to buy into it. If the oil companies don't buy into it, it's not going anywhere," Blach said.

This should't be too difficult.

According to Doupe, forecasts of an impending labor shortage in the energy sector make this venture very appealing, especially because of the trained workforce that will come out this agreement. Part of the training for Aboriginal Albertans will come from Human Resources Canada and part will come from the AESG business partners.

The three companies have agreed to help by giving Aboriginal Albertans the experience they need to work in jobs as diverse as Cat operators, oilfield construction and maintenance workers, welders and managers. Potential employees will work for Peace Mountain Projects in pipeline construction, for Debolt in heavy earth moving and for BFL in steel fabrication and the trades.

Blach said this agreement will give Aboriginal people a much-needed break.

"The problem is when, let's say Joe goes up to [Fort] McMurray and takes an operating course. So, he has a ticket, right, saying he took this course ... but nobody gives him an opportunity because he hasn't got any experience," explained Blach.

The venture is attractive to oil and gas companies with a mandate to diversify their workforce by increasing their Aboriginal employee numbers. For companies like Peace Mountain Projects that contract out their labor, being part of the AESG becomes a huge benefit.

"Helping the Metis and the Aboriginal [people] train their force gives us another opportunity to go through some doors we couldn't go through before," said Blach.