West Fraser celebrated as one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People for 2021

January 28, 2021

Screen grab from Laura Trout’s “A Day in the Life” video for PLT Canada. The West Fraser senior biologist has been a part of major fish habitat restoration programs and collaborations in Alberta since 2014.

West Fraser, an SFI-certified organization and Project Learning Tree Canada (PLT Canada) Green Jobs employer, has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People for the fifth time.

West Fraser has been incredible in supporting PLT Canada’s programming. Not only has the company hired youth into 46 Green Jobs since 2018—in Forestry Summer Student positions ranging from Operations to Planning to Silviculture—but it has also participated in a wide range of PLT Canada initiatives, showing great dedication to helping youth grow and advance in their green careers.

Six West Fraser employees have participated or are currently participating in PLT Canada’s Green Mentor Program, which helps youth explore the Green Jobs sector and plan their career pathways. Two employees are also participating in PLT Canada’s new Green Leaders Program as mentors to Indigenous youth. They will help their mentees develop and deliver community service action projects, build skills, and explore opportunities in the forest and conservation sector.

This summer, West Fraser also played a key role in PLT Canada’s “A Day in the Life” Webinar series for the Outland Youth Employment Program (OYEP). OYEP is a national network of land-based education, training, and work opportunities for Indigenous high school students. Three professionals from West Fraser (a senior biologist, a regional manager, and a silviculture coordinator) filmed a typical day on their jobs so that OYEP youth could virtually explore different careers in the forest and conservation sector.

Laura Trout, a senior biologist for West Fraser, was one of these key individuals. In addition to filming and submitting her “A Day in the Life” video, Laura participated in the live OYEP webinar in which her video was played and where she talked about her role in research and planning. Previously, Laura was even a mentor during PLT Canada’s first Green Mentor cohort.

“You have to keep your eyes open and your mind open to different opportunities and don’t immediately judge one job or one possible career path as not being ideal,” she advised. “I had an open mind about those things and ended up where I am today, and I’m so grateful for that.”

PLT Canada is proud to partner with West Fraser, who shares a commitment to building a diverse and resilient workforce of the future by supporting young people along their green career pathways.