Youngsters in the Canadian city of Medicine Hat are to be offered funding to help them develop skills which could be utilised in the state of Alberta's burgeoning oil industry.

The city's MP and Canadian minister for human resources and social development, Monte Solberg, announced the new scheme, entitled Oilfield Worker 2008, at the national parliament.

Under the initiative dozens of young people will be given both classroom and on-site training relating to a host of skills needed for a career in the oil exploration industry, including on-field safety and best on-site practice.

"We all know that many of the new jobs in the Medicine Hat area are in the energy field," the minister stated.

"Through the Oilfield Worker 2008 project, we'll be able to help 48 young people find and keep quality jobs, and we'll also help local employers facing labour shortages."

Over recent years, the government's Advantage Canada Plan has given many industry workers, including those in the oil sector, a significant boost, largely through reducing taxes for Canadian workers and improving competition among domestic enterprises.