Canada and Nunavut partner on $2M marine training fund

Nunavummiut interested in a career at sea could have their training paid for, thanks to new funding announced Thursday in Iqaluit.

The $2-million marine training fund will pay for students to take the Bridge Watch Rating program offered by the non-profit Nunavut Fisheries and Marine Training Consortium. 

“The goal is to help people in Nunavut to be able to have access to new skills,” said federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly during a news conference at the legislative assembly, where she announced the new fund.

The federal government is providing $1.5 million, while the Government of Nunavut is kicking in $500,000. The money will be spread out over three years to cover training and living expenses for students taking the bridge watch program.

The program is offered in two parts, with the first lasting seven weeks and the second part lasting six weeks. It offers students with no prior sea experience basic safety and vessel operations training.

“I’ve seen how much the fishing industry can bring you from nothing to something,” said Lyle Lewis-Flaherty, a 19-year-old graduate of the training program, in an interview following the news conference.

He was one of several former students who attended the news conference to pose for photos alongside policymakers.

Graduates will be eligible for employment opportunities on marine vessels operating in international waters.

Most students who take the bridge watch program come from communities outside Iqaluit, said Daniel Martin, executive director of the Nunavut Fisheries Training Consortium.

He said he’s still working on details for how the funding will work, but added it should pay for more than 24 students to complete the program.

The money comes from the Canada-Nunavut Workforce Tariff Response, which is meant to provide workforce training to insulate Canadians from the effects of the United States’ ongoing trade war.

As of April, Nunavut’s unemployment rate was at 12 per cent.