Significant step taken towards training
Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services
Kitikmeot (Dec 04/00) - Training opportunities blossomed for Nunavummiut as two more companies joined the Kitikmeot Employment and Training Partners.
Sean Peterson, the manager of the nonprofit organization in Cambridge Bay, said the new partners will have a significant impact on training initiatives for Inuit in the region.
Created last December to ensure Inuit can meet present and future employment needs, KETP has trained several residents as heavy equipment operators to date.
Peterson said the presence of DeBeers Canada Exploration Inc. and Northern Transportation Company Limited (NTCL) will help guide the group in the next direction and training initiative they'll undertake.
"They want to employ Northern people and they want to train Northern people," said Peterson, noting the new presence brought the number of partners up to 31.
"They wanted to get on board with an organization serious about training people and they recognize (us) as a legitimate training group," he said.
Peterson said DeBeers told him they had been monitoring the group and wanted to be a part of it -- so much so that DeBeers said they would introduce KETP to potential funders interested in backing a diamond drillers' helpers course in the new year.
