Yellowknife (Feb 02/05) - Twenty-four aboriginal people will soon have careers in underground mining thanks to a $1.2 million program.

It's good news for the families of those chosen for training, said Mine Training Society chairman Leon Lafferty.

The trainees will come from the communities of Lutsel K'e, Gameti, Dettah, Ndilo, Wekweti, Wha Ti and Rae-Edzo.

"These jobs will be for underground mining sector and once everyone has completed the training they will have jobs," said Lafferty.

It's a ways from the old days when only skilled labourers were hired for such work and there was very little on-the-job training, said Lafferty.

Procon and Aurora College are expected to deliver the classes. Funding for the project is coming from Kete Whii/Procon and BHP Billiton. As well, the Mine Training Society will provide the balance of $631,132, said society general manager Dan O'Neill, adding he is happy with the speed in which the initiative became reality.

"We received this proposal in late December and here it is only January and we already have a deal signed," said O'Neill. The group plans to train 385 people overall as the program is expanded.

"It doesn't mean we can't do more,' he said.

The Mine Training Society will be recruiting in the coming weeks to fill the 24 positions.