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NWT - The Mine Training Society is coming to a community near you.

The organization has developed a new two-day workshop geared toward aboriginal miners and potential trainees in communities across the North.

The Mine Training Society will visit communities across the North this year, giving a two-day workshop focused on discussing mining-related community and family issues and conducting training assessments, said Hilary Jones, general manager of the society. - photo courtesy of the Mine Training Society

Workshops will focus on mining-related community and family awareness. Sessions are to be run by Doreen Apples of Gameti, MTS's newly hired assessment officer, who will be touring the NWT throughout the year.

The workshop considers the effects of mining on the community "upfront," and explain "how to manage those," said Hilary Jones, general manager of the MTS.

The first day of the workshop will look at issues aboriginal mining families face, such as the classic two-week-in/two-week-out mining schedule, and what it means to be “strong like two people.”

While Chief Jimmy Bruneau first used the now-famous Tlicho saying to describe the importance of educating aboriginal children in two cultures – modern and traditional – the philosophy also has strong connections in the mining world, said Jones.

For instance, workshops will discuss the challenges aboriginal miners face at reconciling traditional family culture with mining culture – plus the importance of striking a balance between both worlds.

Workshops will also consider the effects of the mine worker's partner, who also has to be "strong like two people" -- both a mom and a dad -- while their spouse is on rotation at the site.

The second day of the workshop focuses on training and assessment.

“We can't rely on transcripts in the NWT,” said Jones, adding, for example, it's not unusual for a person to have earned their grade 12, but to be lacking in some of the usual coursework, like math.

Instead, the society bases assessments on workplace essential skills – the three they can test for are literacy, numeracy and document use – and use the results to better tailor training programs.

“Each community has a different flavour, wants and needs,” said Jones.

The community-based two-day workshops are not the only new venture the MTS is undertaking in its new fiscal year.

The society is in the planning stages for a new pilot project to set up a workplace coach advocate in one Northern mining community.

A workplace coach advocate acts as a sort of counsellor for a community. The coach wears many hats, acting as a liaison between the local mine and miners, especially in the case where a miner needs someone to advocate on their behalf, and can even facilitate workshops.

Jones said the MTS has currently targeted Fort Resolution as a possible spot to set up the new position.

“It has a decent population of miners and is a small enough community to start with,” she said.

Having a workplace coach advocate in the community could be a plus, agreed Dawna Lynn Poitras, the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Agreement (AHRDA) regional director with the Akaitcho Territory Government.

A workplace coach advocate could help community members learn how to deal with the issues of mining life, she said.