Creating Employment Opportunities

Our business activities and community investments have an impact on the growth and prosperity of the communities where we work. At Canadian Natural, we engage the local community across all of our operations to develop and promote local capacity and work with local and regional contractors to explore potential employment opportunities. We support training and employment initiatives that enable the continued development of local workforces near our operations so that we can train and employ people in the communities where we operate. 

Supporting Trades and Employment Opportunities

Apprenticeship training is an important way to help prepare individuals for a career in the trades and we work closely with local colleges on skilled trades programs that are accessible and affordable for community members.

Training for Careers in Oil and Natural Gas

• Developing Staff Through Apprenticeship Program

  Our in-house apprenticeship program at our oil sands mining and upgrading operations is helping employees gain hands-on experience and fill positions in our maintenance team. The program was initiated with the intent of sponsoring our own homegrown tradespeople (heavy equipment technicians and electricians). We have 21 graduates to date and 36 individuals currently enrolled.

• Rig Training Facility

  The Trades Exposure Training Program from Northern Lights Public Schools is one of a kind in Canada. The training centre, located in Bonnyville, features a service rig training facility on a well and a scaffolding shop, where students can discover the trades and determine through hands-on work whether they’re interested in pursuing journeyman career paths. The project is a prime example of local organizations and community partners coming together to provide an innovative learning experience for the next generation of oil and natural gas workers in Alberta.
  
  Canadian Natural was instrumental in getting the well drilled, supplying personnel and equipment. In 2019, we donated site consultant time to teach how to work on a service rig.  

• Internships across Canadian Natural’s operations

  Through our partnership with ‘Careers: the Next Generation’, between 2014 and 2019 we offered internships to 63 high school students (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) who gained experience throughout our Alberta field operations in Grande Prairie, Fairview, Medicine Hat, and Edson.

• Workshops for Indigenous youth

  Stakeholder Relations team members continue to facilitate youth development workshops at the Summer Student Employment program with Fort McKay First Nation and Fort McKay Métis. The workshops focused on communication at work, positive attitude, self-confidence, self-esteem and understanding addictions.

• Work placement opportunities for students in our International operations

  Since 2014, we have awarded the Barbara Rae Access Scholarship through the Robert Gordon University Foundation in Aberdeen. Barbara Rae was a Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) team lead in Our International operations who passed away. To honour her memory, this access scholarship in her name supports students through their education in the face of financial hardship. As scholars progress in their education, they have the opportunity to gain work experience and access to mentors who can offer guidance along the way. 
  
  We are currently supporting 22 ongoing undergraduate scholarship programs in the UK, and four in Côte d’Ivoire (CDI). In 2018, we launched a scholarship program in CDI providing financial support to two students for the duration of their university courses, with additional mentorship and placement opportunities in our Abidjan office. 

Our employees

Our business depends on a diverse workforce of individuals who take pride in ‘working together’ and ‘doing it right’. In 2019, we employed more than 10,000 full-time employees. 

The employment created by our North American operations and through our capital investment program in 2019 was equivalent to 79,820 person-years, including direct, indirect (suppliers) and induced (economy at large) employment. To learn more about the employment created by our Company, as well as additional benefits of our operations, read our 2019 Stewardship Report to Stakeholders and visit our Economic Contributions section.

Hiring locally

At Canadian Natural, hiring and developing local people is one of our priorities. We do this through internal training and mentorship, which are essential to our culture. We believe that creating a workforce of empowered employees is essential to creating value, and therefore, developing people also means promoting people from within whenever possible.

At our CDI operations in Offshore Africa, for example, we work with the local community and the education system to develop local people. Our International operations employ 55 individuals in CDI, 54 of whom are Ivorian, including four members of the local management team. 

To further support our recruiting goals, we participate in information sessions at universities, colleges and career fairs.

For more information on training initiatives to support employment creation, read our Education and Training section of our website.