Park picnic recognizes local youth and employers

May 31, 2019

Zac Wagman, PLT Canada Green Jobs Manager (far right), and his brother Nick are biking across the country on Montreal-made Picolo Vélo bicycles. The pair are meeting youth along the way who have been placed into PLT Canada Green Jobs, and sharing their experiences on social media to highlight the types of careers that exist in the forest, conservation and parks sectors.

Prince George, B.C. — A picnic was held today at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park to recognize local youth and employers involved in Project Learning Tree Canada (PLT Canada)’s Green Jobs program. About 30 youth and employers participated in the event from a variety of local forestry companies and parks services, including the City of Prince George, the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development, the Outland Youth Employment Program, Canfor, Conifex, and DWB Consulting. PLT Canada has placed over 200 youth aged 15-30 into such jobs in the Prince George area alone, and over 2,000 youth in Green Jobs throughout the country. What is more, the organization has managed to achieve both gender neutrality in its placements, as well as a high success rate in placing indigenous youth.

A welcome prayer was performed by Elder Kenora Stewart, from the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation. Zac Wagman, PLT Canada Green Jobs Manager, then talked about cycling over 8,750 km this summer, from Victoria, B.C., to St. John’s, Newfoundland, on a Montreal-made Picolo Vélo wooden bicycle. Along the way, they are meeting youth working in Green Jobs and sharing their experiences on social media to highlight the types of careers that exist in the forest, conservation and parks sectors. Prince George was one of several such stops for the pair as they make their way across the country, on a trip affectionately dubbed the “Green Ride for Green Jobs.”

PLT Canada provides a 50% wage match for Green Jobs placements, and additional funding for employers is still available. See our Green Jobs page more information.

Quotes

“The City of Prince George is pleased to be supporting Project Learning Tree Canada in this initiative focused on exposing young professionals to rewarding careers such as forestry, and to the benefits of working with wood. Prince George is a city built on forestry and the manufacturing of wood products and is also a leader in green technology and sustainability, particularly through the use of our Downtown Renewable Energy System. The City is also a grateful recipient of funding from PLT Canada’s Green Jobs program, which has enabled us to provide an employment opportunity to a student studying environmental sciences. I would like to thank PLT Canada for their on-going commitment to green jobs, and wish them success on the Green Ride!” – Mayor Lyn Hall, City of Prince George

“OYEP is all about giving Indigenous youth new opportunities and experiences that will help create successful transitions into young adulthood. Helping youth discover their passions and how those can lead to a career can truly be life changing, and PLT Canada has been instrumental in supporting these opportunities. I am so proud of all the OYEP graduates because they are taking charge of their futures and going on to do great things.” – Hamish Black, Outland Youth Employment Program Coordinator West

“It’s an amazing experience for youth and you learn a lot of valuable skills and lessons through the program. I think that everyone should have a chance at experiencing something like the OYEP camp.” – Karissa Brown, Summer Student, Outland Youth Employment Program

 “I’m excited to be biking across Canada and meeting youth working in Green Jobs. These are great jobs that can lead to fantastic careers in the forest and conservation sectors. But these kinds of opportunities weren’t part of the conversation when I graduated from high school. For example, I wish someone had “Funding from PLT Canada’s Green Jobs Program has assisted the City of Prince George Source Control Program in providing an opportunity for an Environmental Technician Student. Our student is providing valuable support to our pollution prevention initiatives and we in turn are providing an enriching learning environment, a win-win situation.” – Julie Shrimpton, Environmental Assistant – Source Control, Utilities Division, City of Prince George

“I’m excited to be biking across Canada and meeting youth working in Green Jobs. These are great jobs that can lead to fantastic careers in the forest and conservation sectors. But these kinds of opportunities weren’t part of the conversation when I graduated from high school. For example, I wish someone had told me I could become a professional forester, and what kind of training and education that takes. I’m hoping the Green Ride will help change that.” – Zac Wagman, Green Jobs Manager, PLT Canada

“Since the start of our Green Jobs programming, the employers in the region around Prince George have been one of our most important participants. In fact, 1 in 10 PLT Canada Green Jobs across the country will have taken place in this region. We’re thrilled to be celebrating these important employers, youth, and community members, as the skills and experience gained through the Green Jobs program lead to green careers that benefit the community, the economy, and the environment.” – Kathy Abusow, President and CEO, PLT Canada

About Project Learning Tree Canada

An initiative of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Project Learning Tree Canada believes in a society that values and benefits from sustainably managed forests and the great outdoors. PLT Canada is committed to using the outdoors to engage youth in learning about the world around them—in rural, Indigenous and urban communities—and using trees and forests as windows on the world to inspire action and grow the next generation of future forest and conservation leaders.

For more information

David Folkerson
Director, Communications
David.Folkerson@sfiprogram.org
613-565-0627