October 26, 2023

PRINCE RUPERT, BRITISH COLUMBIA – The Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA) is committed to developing a diverse and skilled workforce in northern British Columbia. One of the ways the organization is working towards this is through new financial awards to Coast Mountain College students pursuing their education and training in fields that are key to the sustainability and future growth of the Prince Rupert Gateway and region. 

Starting this fall, PRPA is partnering with CMTN Foundation to create the Prince Rupert Port Authority Academic Excellence Awards. These two annual $1,500 awards are open to Coast Mountain College students enrolled in any year of Environmental Sciences, Sustainability, Engineering, or Business. Additionally, PRPA funds the Supporting Trade Apprenticeships Award, which is open to students in any trade, in any year.

“The Prince Rupert Port Authority Academic Excellence Awards and Supporting Trade Apprenticeships Award recognize and support local students excelling in their fields and demonstrate PRPA’s continuing commitment to strengthening the innovative trade gateway that anchors northern BC’s economy and the communities that enable it,” said Shaun Stevenson, President and CEO, Prince Rupert Port Authority. 

Preference will be given to Indigenous students, those with financial need, and those pursuing a career that will support port-related industry and a demonstrated desire to practice their chosen profession in communities in northern BC. The awards are intended to reward academic excellence and a minimum GPA of 3.0 or trades equivalent is required.  

The CMTN Foundation works to ensure students have the resources they need to succeed with the belief that students that study in the north will stay in the north. “These new awards will both make a significant impact in the lives of the students that receive them,” says Yvonne Koerner, CMTN Foundation Executive Director. “Students are experiencing increasing financial pressures, from rent, to groceries, to childcare. We are very appreciative of PRPA’s commitment to being part of relieving financial barriers for our students.”

Applications are available on the CMTN website here: Prince Rupert Port Authority Awards.

ABOUT THE PRINCE RUPERT PORT AUTHORITY
The Prince Rupert Port Authority manages the Port of Prince Rupert, Canada’s northernmost trade gateway on the west coast. The Port of Prince Rupert anchors one of the fastest and most reliable supply chains between North America and Asia, providing vital infrastructure to support shippers and industries as they move their goods and resources to market. The port supports an estimated 3,700 direct supply-chain jobs in northern BC, $360 million in annual wages, and $147 million in annual government revenue. PRPA enables future workforce development by providing financial awards to northwest BC students pursuing careers and trades in the transportation industry. These awards include annual scholarships and bursaries for Grade 12 students at Charles Hays Secondary School and Pacific Coast School in Prince Rupert and Coast Tsimshian Academy in Lax Kw’alaams. Coast Mountain College students, as well as undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Northern BC, are also eligible for yearly awards from PRPA. 

ABOUT THE CMTN FOUNDATION
The mission of the CMTN Foundation is to grow and steward resources to support Coast Mountain College and ensure that every student from the region will have access to resources to make CMTN a part of their post-secondary learning pathway. The CMTN Foundation acts with integrity by being transparent, inclusive and accountable to the College, our partners, and the communities that the college serves.