Socio-economic effects
Nalcor has stated that the construction process of the Lower Churchill Hydroelectric project will provide a lot of jobs and opportunities. Specifically more than 1,500 jobs in more than 70 trades and occupations will be required. The project would be able to provide 9,100 person-years of local people in the province and 5,800 of which will be from Labrador. This is a total employment of 23,300 making the total amount of income to labor around $1.9 million and $320 million income benefits per year (Joint Panel Review 2011).
Their main focus was to maximize labor market opportunities and aboriginal labor. Nalcor also states that this project will not only increase the revenue for the Province of Newfoundland, but will also provide renewable energy, training programs, resulting with long-term employment. In the end this project can enhance the provincial income by $2.1 billion (Joint Panel Review 2011).
Employment
The project wants to increase labor market opportunities and encourage employment and participation. However the shortage of skills has been found to be due to the lack of available training in certain regions. These training gaps have spotted throughout Labrador, Upper Lake Melville, and have been found within aboriginal communities (Nalcor 2009, Vol 1-A). Therefore Nalcor focused on coming up with training strategies with the Innu Nation, Labrador Metis Nation, and the Nunatsiavut Government. In order for Aboriginals to not miss employment opportunities the Nunatsiavut Government recommended of they’re being a “pre-employment” phase for training (Nalcore 2009, Vol 4).
The Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership program was to become implemented as it supports training, employment and multi-year training for the Aboriginal people (Nalcor 2009, Vol 4).
Before the project began, Nalcor stated that they would implement Gender Equity Programs and a Diversity Programs for during the construction phase and operating periods (Joint Panel Review 2011). This was also to encourage women participation in the project. Women’s employment plan also includes addressing jobsite harassment and implementing childcare services. According to Nalcor, as the project progresses consultation on women’s issues will be addressed. Overall Nalcor was very clear in wanting to accommodate the Aboriginal people and their culture. This was shown by, providing Impacts and Benefits Agreements, flexible work schedules, and other family/community needs (Joint Panel Review 2011). However this was not offered to the Nunatukavut and Nunatsiavut aboriginal groups.
What the participants found and their concerns
Participants don’t find that there is a long-term guarantee for jobs. According to Nalcor’s January 2014 report, Aboriginals employed were hired for construction and assembly jobs whereas non-aboriginals were mainly hired for engineering & design jobs, or as project managers. This shows differences in opportunities, which can be due to differences in skill sets. Importantly, construction and assembly jobs are usually temporary jobs thus becoming concerning to the Aboriginal community for future employment. It was therefore recommended that the Aborginal people be trained to take on these high-level jobs such as management positions (Joint Panel Review 2011).
The Nunatsiavut Government was concerned about the employment benefits offered to the Innu nation and not to the Nunatakuvut and Nunatsiavut residents. For both nations should be equal and thus should be given equal benefits.
Referring to the Voisey’s Bay project, short-term jobs were of concern and found that they did not get the same benefits as the non-aboriginal community. Therefore more pressure is on Nalcor to provide these benefits and long-term job opportunities.
Participation of women was of great concern, where it was stated by the Mokami Status of Women Council, that gender equity in hiring policies should be of main concern and that Nalcor must ensure support systems for employed women. These support services include childcare accommodations, gender sensitivity training and harassment policies. Also it was recommended that education should be offered and available to the aboriginal people, especially women, in order for them to have the opportunities to advance in the workforce. For it was a concern to the Innu people that with the “limited education, skills, distance from project, work experience and language issues” (Joint Panel Review 2011), would prevent Aboriginals from getting long-term or higher leveled jobs.
However according to the Nunatisavut Government, the Labrador Aboriginal Training Partnership has been a good program towards getting Aboriginal the right training. However although the program has expired in 2012, its been recommended that the program should continue through the support of Nalcor. The federal government has donated $15 million to the program therefore if Nalcor is serious about improving job opportunities, it should be able to contribute also towards this program (Joint Panel Review 2011).
The Proposed Mitigation Measures and Monitoring by Nalcor
· “Collect data on project employment by number employed, location of primary residence, occupational category, gender and Aboriginal status and report to government on a quarterly basis;”
· “Promote local employment through implementation of an adjacency policy for Project hiring, giving priority to qualified and experienced workers in the vicinity of the Project by first satisfying any Impacts and Benefits Agreement commitments with Aboriginal groups, then giving priority to residents of Labrador, followed by residents of Newfoundland, then residents of Canada, and finally workers from abroad;”
· “encourage the participation of Labrador Innu in the Project workforce by measures including: Impacts and Benefits Planning Strategy & Impacts and Benefits Agreement, support for an Innu Training Plan;”
· “Implement progressive hiring, promotion, and mentoring practices for women;”
· “Implement measures to encourage the hiring of all types of workers for whom there currently exist barriers to employment, including women and Aboriginal people;”
· “Develop, prior to beginning construction, a Gender Equity Program, Project Diversity Plan, Women’s Employment Plan, and Business Access Strategy;”
· “Include support for women in the Women’s Employment Plan such as family-friendly policies and practices, facilities for women, safe accommodations”
· “Supports for all employees including addiction services, addictions awareness training, harassment prevention training, zero tolerance on harassment, violence prevention training and gender and cultural sensitivity training;”
(All quoted from Joint Review Panel Report 2011)
Nalcor has stated that the construction process of the Lower Churchill Hydroelectric project will provide a lot of jobs and opportunities. Specifically more than 1,500 jobs in more than 70 trades and occupations will be required. The project would be able to provide 9,100 person-years of local people in the province and 5,800 of which will be from Labrador. This is a total employment of 23,300 making the total amount of income to labor around $1.9 million and $320 million income benefits per year (Joint Panel Review 2011).
Their main focus was to maximize labor market opportunities and aboriginal labor. Nalcor also states that this project will not only increase the revenue for the Province of Newfoundland, but will also provide renewable energy, training programs, resulting with long-term employment. In the end this project can enhance the provincial income by $2.1 billion (Joint Panel Review 2011).
Employment
The project wants to increase labor market opportunities and encourage employment and participation. However the shortage of skills has been found to be due to the lack of available training in certain regions. These training gaps have spotted throughout Labrador, Upper Lake Melville, and have been found within aboriginal communities (Nalcor 2009, Vol 1-A). Therefore Nalcor focused on coming up with training strategies with the Innu Nation, Labrador Metis Nation, and the Nunatsiavut Government. In order for Aboriginals to not miss employment opportunities the Nunatsiavut Government recommended of they’re being a “pre-employment” phase for training (Nalcore 2009, Vol 4).
The Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership program was to become implemented as it supports training, employment and multi-year training for the Aboriginal people (Nalcor 2009, Vol 4).
Before the project began, Nalcor stated that they would implement Gender Equity Programs and a Diversity Programs for during the construction phase and operating periods (Joint Panel Review 2011). This was also to encourage women participation in the project. Women’s employment plan also includes addressing jobsite harassment and implementing childcare services. According to Nalcor, as the project progresses consultation on women’s issues will be addressed. Overall Nalcor was very clear in wanting to accommodate the Aboriginal people and their culture. This was shown by, providing Impacts and Benefits Agreements, flexible work schedules, and other family/community needs (Joint Panel Review 2011). However this was not offered to the Nunatukavut and Nunatsiavut aboriginal groups.
What the participants found and their concerns
Participants don’t find that there is a long-term guarantee for jobs. According to Nalcor’s January 2014 report, Aboriginals employed were hired for construction and assembly jobs whereas non-aboriginals were mainly hired for engineering & design jobs, or as project managers. This shows differences in opportunities, which can be due to differences in skill sets. Importantly, construction and assembly jobs are usually temporary jobs thus becoming concerning to the Aboriginal community for future employment. It was therefore recommended that the Aborginal people be trained to take on these high-level jobs such as management positions (Joint Panel Review 2011).
The Nunatsiavut Government was concerned about the employment benefits offered to the Innu nation and not to the Nunatakuvut and Nunatsiavut residents. For both nations should be equal and thus should be given equal benefits.
Referring to the Voisey’s Bay project, short-term jobs were of concern and found that they did not get the same benefits as the non-aboriginal community. Therefore more pressure is on Nalcor to provide these benefits and long-term job opportunities.
Participation of women was of great concern, where it was stated by the Mokami Status of Women Council, that gender equity in hiring policies should be of main concern and that Nalcor must ensure support systems for employed women. These support services include childcare accommodations, gender sensitivity training and harassment policies. Also it was recommended that education should be offered and available to the aboriginal people, especially women, in order for them to have the opportunities to advance in the workforce. For it was a concern to the Innu people that with the “limited education, skills, distance from project, work experience and language issues” (Joint Panel Review 2011), would prevent Aboriginals from getting long-term or higher leveled jobs.
However according to the Nunatisavut Government, the Labrador Aboriginal Training Partnership has been a good program towards getting Aboriginal the right training. However although the program has expired in 2012, its been recommended that the program should continue through the support of Nalcor. The federal government has donated $15 million to the program therefore if Nalcor is serious about improving job opportunities, it should be able to contribute also towards this program (Joint Panel Review 2011).
The Proposed Mitigation Measures and Monitoring by Nalcor
· “Collect data on project employment by number employed, location of primary residence, occupational category, gender and Aboriginal status and report to government on a quarterly basis;”
· “Promote local employment through implementation of an adjacency policy for Project hiring, giving priority to qualified and experienced workers in the vicinity of the Project by first satisfying any Impacts and Benefits Agreement commitments with Aboriginal groups, then giving priority to residents of Labrador, followed by residents of Newfoundland, then residents of Canada, and finally workers from abroad;”
· “encourage the participation of Labrador Innu in the Project workforce by measures including: Impacts and Benefits Planning Strategy & Impacts and Benefits Agreement, support for an Innu Training Plan;”
· “Implement progressive hiring, promotion, and mentoring practices for women;”
· “Implement measures to encourage the hiring of all types of workers for whom there currently exist barriers to employment, including women and Aboriginal people;”
· “Develop, prior to beginning construction, a Gender Equity Program, Project Diversity Plan, Women’s Employment Plan, and Business Access Strategy;”
· “Include support for women in the Women’s Employment Plan such as family-friendly policies and practices, facilities for women, safe accommodations”
· “Supports for all employees including addiction services, addictions awareness training, harassment prevention training, zero tolerance on harassment, violence prevention training and gender and cultural sensitivity training;”
(All quoted from Joint Review Panel Report 2011)
Critique
Positive Aspects
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Negative Aspects
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