Connecting Indigenous Talent to Forest Sector Opportunities
One of the great challenges of getting into the workforce is landing the experience employers regularly seek. The BC First Nations Forestry Council's Indigenous Forestry Scholarship Program is working to change that, leveraging its strong partnerships with First Nations communities, government agencies and participating organizations like Mosaic Forest Management to break down barriers and bridge the gap.
The Council’s Indigenous Forestry Scholarship Program helps students get trained for rewarding careers in the forest sector through tuition coverage and living scholarships. Students enroll in paid summer work-term experience between school terms, which also involves one-on-one mentorship between the student and program partner. The information sharing that results helps the student become more confident and comfortable with other work-related aspects.
Engagement, dialogue and collaboration are hallmarks of the scholarship program and influence how participating organizations, like Mosaic, work alongside program administrators. Strong partnerships are critical to the scholarship program’s success, which has seen over 200 graduates achieve fulfilling careers and other accomplishments.
Miranda Beck and Dakota Parenteau have come on board at Mosaic as paid interns under the Indigenous Forestry Scholarship Program. Parenteau (who joined the program in 2021) is now a processor operator trainee at Mosaic’s Northwest Bay operations, while Beck (who joined in 2022) is a mechanic intern in the shop at Northwest Bay. Both had worked with past partners in the scholarship program, gaining the necessary skills to help them hit the ground running at Mosaic.
“I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to gain experience while working alongside some amazing mentors and companies. It’s exciting to have the chance to further my career through this program,” says Beck. Parenteau appreciates the valuable opportunities it’s created for him, saying the scholarship program “can positivity affect people’s lives based on my experience and the conversations I have with other people who are in the program. It’s something I’m very proud to be a part of.”
The Indigenous Forestry Scholarship Program has been running for a dozen years to support students of First Nations, Inuit, or Métis descent to attend full-time studies to train for a range of professions critical to the forest sector. In 2021, the program expanded from the original Ministry of Forests’ partnership to include other trusted industry partners, with Mosaic as a sponsor since then.
Applications to the scholarship program are open year-round and begin with completing an intake form found on the BC First Nations Forestry Council's scholarship webpage here.