Kugluktuk gets shot at diavik mine jobs
Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services
Kugluktuk (Jan 15/01) - For some people, the idea of preparing dinner for a family of five is intimidating.
Multiply that number of eaters by at least 100, remembering that most of them have suffered through a hard day of manual labour, and an image of the sort of mealtime Matilda Algona is about to face comes to light.
"Since I was 15 I wanted to be a cook at a camp," said Algona, currently a part-time employee at the Kakayak day care in Kugluktuk.
The 25-year-old is about to see her dream comes true.
She and 21 other residents in the Kitikmeot community, Algona has decided to trade in their current jobs for a shot at a six-week pre-trades course developed by Diavik Diamond Mines Inc.
"It's really good for some people because it's better to work than to live on welfare," said Algona.
"What makes it exciting is that I'm going to learn to cook better than I cook now. It excites me. I've wanted to do this for so long," said Algona, who got her first taste of camp cooking in jobs she held as a teenager.
A chance to improve
The six-week training course, which began in Kugluktuk today, will get participants ready to write their pre-apprenticeship examination.
That will likely lead those involved to employment in apprenticeship positions at Diavik mine.
Municipal employee Sandy Buchan said the program was good news for the community because it gave people who had work experience, but who had not necessarily developed a trade, the opportunity to get on board at the mine.
It is expected that up to 1,000 workers will be hired during the construction phase of the Lac de Gras diamond mine.
Diavik declared their commitment to hiring Northerners to work at the facility and has come through on the promise by hosting the training courses. Along with cooking courses, construction training in carpentry, plumping and electrical skills is offered.
Participants will retrofit a building in the community over the next six weeks and will reside in the hamlet's hostel in an attempt to create a camp-like atmosphere.
Buchan said it was gratifying to see the mining company offer the course because it gave Northerners a solid chance to gain meaningful employment at a mine.
"It gives them a chance to prove themselves," said Buchan.
A lifelong career
Glenn Zelinski, Diavik's manager of construction training, said the company had spent the last year developing a strategy and a course that fill a void among Northern workers and provide the mine staff it needed.
"We're in construction today so the training is for trades related positions. Tomorrow we go to production. The plan is to continually upgrade the process," he said, adding that a lifelong career with the mine was the end goal."That's certainly what our intent is."
