Irving Shipbuilding

HALIFAX — Irving Shipbuilding says it is employing aboriginal workers who graduated from a Mikmaq training program as a first step towards recruiting more workers from minority groups.

The company says four Mikmaq tradespeople are working on siding, cladding and roofing at the yard through a contract Irving awarded to Flynn Canada Ltd.

Company president Kevin McCoy says Flynn won a $10-million contract for the work partly because it was making use of a program based in Sydney, N.S., that trains Mikmaq tradespeople.

What weve got here is a great first step and we want to highlight that and we want to remind the other companies that this is possible, he said.

McCoy anticipates the shipyard will be hiring more Mikmaq tradespeople through the 21-week training program, but he declined to provide a specific target or give a current figure for the number of aboriginal workers in Halifax.

The company says it has been keeping the Mikmaw Economic Benefits Office of Nova Scotia informed of the skills it needs to allow the agency to tailor training towards the shipbuilding industry.

Irving won a $25-billion contract in 2011 to build Canadas next generation of warships.

Construction of the Arctic offshore patrol vessels is expected to begin next year and the yard is building facilities for that project.

Doug Flynn, chief executive of Flynn, said he will continue hiring from the aboriginal training program.

Well certainly look at as many as we can. Were looking at a long-term relationship with the Mikmaq people that can provide qualified labour, he said.

Jeremy Stephens, a 22-year-old from Indian Brook First Nation, said he has gone from unemployment to finding work as a sheet-metal worker and roofer through the Mikmaq training program.

Its meant a lot. I was doing nothing and I saw this opportunity and here I am, he said.