Stillwater Consulting, in partnership with Lil̓wat Forestry Ventures (LFV), will be delivering a fully funded six-week training program on Wildfire & Community Resilience at Ts̓zil Learning Centre, in Mount Currie, British Columbia.
The training is set to begin on January 29th, 2025, and will deliver 240 hours of training across essential field skills, hands-on experience, and industry-recognized certifications to prepare individuals for success in the natural resource sector.
“Stillwater Consulting has been working with LFV since 2012, and we have delivered various training programs since then. A lot of the training we’ve done is intensive, short in length, and directly linked to a specific objective,” shared Jody McInnes, President and Senior Project Manager at Stillwater Consulting. “This program is targeted to create additional wildland firefighters trained up to a Type 2 level. Even though they still need the experience before they become a Type 2, this training will cover off all the certifications and credentials they need for that.”
The training program is open to anyone interested, regardless of prior experience, and priority will be given to Lil̓wat community members. Throughout the six weeks, participants will learn from experienced instructors while gaining practical experience.
“Stillwater programs are always very hands-on and experiential. There is some theory but a lot of the time we are out in the field, learning through doing. We find that model really helps a lot of people, especially those who haven’t been in a classroom setting for many years. We also keep our groups small, with a high instructor to student ratio and a focus on teaching to the individual’s level,” explained McInnes, encouraging people interested to apply. “You don’t have to have any special skills or abilities to do well in these programs. All you need is to put in the effort, and we will always reciprocate that hard work!”
The course includes a variety of topics, such as Wildland Firefighting, Danger Tree Assessment, FireSmart, and Bear Aware, allowing individuals to acquire industry-recognized certifications that help build more resilient communities while better protecting and managing valuable forest resources.
“Knowing you’re in a position that has an impact on your community, or communities you will work around, is rewarding. People can really find value in the roles they are going to get from this,” added McInnes.
LFV and Stillwater Consulting invite those interested to apply by emailing levi.robson@lilwatbusiness.ca before seats fill up.