News

Donation to help women and Indigenous people in trades training

Source: Times Colonist

Representatives from Camosun College and Seaspan Shipyards celebrate a major donation. Front, left to right: Nigel Mark, Paige Boroski and Shanae Atkinson (Camosun College students). Back, left to right: Geoff Wilmshurst, vice president Partnerships at Camosun College and Steve Baker, director of operations at Seaspan ULC. Credit: Allan Shook, Camosun AV Services

A $444,000 donation to Camosun College for scholarships and bursaries will help women and Indigenous students graduate from trades programs and buy equipment for a new marine welding program.

The Dennis and ­Phyllis ­Washington Foundation in ­conjunction with Seaspan (founded by Dennis Washington) are making the donation over three years.

Monies are going to help address a years-long shortage of trained tradespeople in B.C. in a range of workplaces, including shipyards. The Washington Companies’ Seaspan owns Victoria and Vancouver shipyards and Vancouver Drydock.

“As the leading ship repair and conversion operation on Canada’s west coast, having diversity in our skilled workforce is critical to our success,” Joe O’Rourke, vice-president and general manager of Victoria Shipyards said in a statement Tuesday.

Seaspan’s North Vancouver shipyard is building billions of dollars worth of non-combat vessels for the federal government. It was recently announced that the job of building one of Canada’s two new polar icebreakers will go to Seaspan.

The donation is part of the Washington Foundation’s Diversifying the Tools for Success initiative.

Every year for three years, $100,000 will be allocated for student scholarships and bursaries for women and Indigenous trades students.

This money is for more than tuition. It will help with related costs students bear such as food, childcare, work clothing and equipment.

A grant of $144,000 is buying equipment for a planned marine welding program at Camosun. It will pay for advanced equipment including new marine ­welding booths and virtual training ­consoles.

“Camosun College has been an excellent partner to help more women and Indigenous students launch their careers in the marine industry and we are proud to continue our longstanding relationship,” said O’Rourke.

Seaspan and the Washington family’s charitable organizations have donated to Camosun before.

In June 2016, the Washington Foundation donated $300,000 to a Camosun fundraising campaign which included a program aimed at encouraging women to join the trades.

Later that year, a custom-made bulkhead for Camosun College was unveiled to train students. Seaspan’s Victoria Shipyards designed, built and delivered the six-tonne, $88,000 bulkhead to Camosun’s Interurban campus.

cjwilson@timescolonist.com