Pay Not Enough For Northern Oil Workers

By Steven Cote

British Columbia’s northern communities are looking at solutions to help oil and gas workers settle in the area. While high pay and plenty of work available is enough to attract workers to northern communities such as Fort St. John, the petroleum industry has had a difficult time keeping them. The Petroleum Human Resource Council, representing Canada’s petroleum industry, has helped developed a strategy to help businesses attract and keep employees.

The Council recently started implementing a pilot strategy called Increasing the Talent in Fort St. John and Grand Prairie, Alta, which has communities and local businesses working together on ways to attract workers, and more importantly, keep them. The strategy involves utilizing information collected from workers about what they expect from the area aside from a paycheck.

Fort St. John is currently developing an informational package for new residents which will outline local programs and facilities. The city is also encouraging its new residents to get involved in the community by trying to set up a volunteer centre.

"We’re trying to be more innovative," says Fort St. John councillor Lori Ackerman, "Businesses are working so hard, they don’t have time to be innovative. If we can recruit more people, and retain them year-round, we will build a stronger community. We want to build a community of people who want to stay here."

It is estimated that 300,000 skilled workers will be needed in the area within the coming 7 years. "There is such a huge demand for skilled workers,” says Lynn Merrithew, project manager for the Petroleum Human Resources Council, “and throwing money at it by increasing the pay is not a good solution."

Email | Print | Facebook | Twitter | Digg | Del.icio.us