Yellowknife (Aug 09/06) - A new training initiative will provide the NWT's three diamond mines with an essential trade.

Metcrete Services, a new joint venture company in Yellowknife, now has the funding to train 16 workers as shotecrete nozzlepersons.

Bill Enge, president of the North Slave Metis Alliance, stands in front of Metcor Inc's newly acquired facility. Metcrete Services, a subsidiary of Metcor, recently received $250,350 to train 16 aboriginal workers as shotecrete nozzlepersons. - David Ryan/NNSL photo

The tradespeople apply material to underground rock face surfaces to strengthen mine shaft structures.

"There appears to be a tremendous need for shotecrete nozzlepersons," said Bill Enge, president of the North Slave Metis Alliance.

Enge said there are labourers that are needed by all three NWT diamond mines.

The North Slave Metis Alliance received $250,350 in funding to train the labourers for one of its subsidiary company's, Metcrete Services Limited.

The 16 selected candidates will attend a five-week training program.

The first week of training will be in Yellowknife, followed by an intense four-week program in Flin Flon, Manitoba, where Multicrete Systems has a mine contract, said Enge.

"After the five-week program, the candidates will be skilled and certified," said Enge.

Graduates will also be certified by the American Cement Association. Applicants for the program must be 19 years of age and be aboriginal. Deadline for applications was Aug. 8. Funding for the program comes from the NWT's Mine Training Society and the Federal government's, Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership (ASEP).

Eventually, Enge said the company will make use of Metcor's newly acquired storage facility and will look into building a batching plant in Yellowknife. "We want to be able to train people right here in Yellowknife in the future," he said. The training initiative will go a long way to create jobs, said Joe Kronstal, NWT Director for Service Canada.

"It's a credit to the industry and the aboriginal peoples who are working alongside the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership." Metcrete Services is a subsidiary joint venture company created by Metcor, which is the parent company of the North Slave Metis Alliance.

As a joint venture company, Metcrete Services has a partnership with Multicrete Systems, of Winnipeg, Manitoba.