SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Mine Training Society is getting some new hardware.
Hilary Jones, general manager of the Mine Training Society, at her offices in Yellowknife. The organization is acquiring new surface mine simulators for a new training program designed specifically in response to requests from the territory's diamond mines. - Karen K. Ho/NNSL photo |
Hilary Jones, the training society's general manager, said that new funding will allow her organization to purchase surface mine simulators worth about $450,000.
The organization already has underground surface simulators. However, Jones said the state-of-the-art machinery is specifically for training future employees at the Gahcho Kue project, as well as the surface pit extensions at Diavik and Ekati.
"We're thinking of the future," she told News/North.
The simulators will allow for training before the potential staff are given control of multi-million dollar vehicles on-site.
It's part of a project offered through Aurora College and the society valued at $897,500 and will be launched later this summer.
Jones said that the funding was helping create a virtual mining school in the territory to support training in the North.
"We will be able to get ahead of the curve to train aboriginal and Northern people to take advantage of the economic opportunity presented by resource development," she said, adding that depending on the size of the class, 20 to 40 people could be trained on the simulators every 12 weeks. Local mining companies had partnered with the training society through the donation of other equipment.
Like other training society programs, the new curriculum will also be introduced at the local community level first, before the students move to instruction in Yellowknife.
"We're producing world-class folks," Jones said with a smile.
The money comes from the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor).
CanNor's funding contribution will be up to $550,500 over two years beginning in 2014-2015. The mining industry will fund a total of $220,000, and the GNWT will provide $127,000 to support the purchase of simulator equipment and curriculum development.
In a news release, Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister David Ramsay said the development of the program would give graduates a competitive advantage when filling related positions.
"Increasing the availability of ready, qualified local candidates will also improve cost efficiencies and associated hiring processes for prospective employers," he stated.
