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RANKIN INLET
The effort to supply the mining industry with talented young workers took a positive step forward this past week when six students completed a Youth in Mining program in Rankin Inlet.

Molly Aggark, Ben Angoshadluk, Jamila Gordon, Jacob McLeod, Douglas Gordon and Arsene Niakrok of Rankin completed the five-week program.

The curriculum included team-building and preemployment activities, such as exploring the trades, and an overview of prospecting through Nunavut Arctic College, and two weeks of handson training at Agnico-Eagle's Meadowbank gold mine near Baker Lake.

The students also job-shadowed with a professional in the field, received instruction courses on managing their pay cheques through the Royal Bank of Canada, professional instruction with elders, drug and alcohol awareness with the RCMP, first aid, fall protection, confined space safety, and forklift and aerial lift platform certification.

Kivalliq Mine Training Society (KMTS) executive director Kevin Bussey said this was the first Youth in Mining program to be run in Nunavut.

He said he became aware of the program when he met Sheila Sergy of the Whitehorse-based Unify Mine Training at a mining conference in Montreal, Que., this past May.

"Sheila had already done one in the Yukon and I was pretty impressed with the results, so I invited her to manage a similar pilot program in Rankin," said Bussey.

"The youths who took the course are all high school graduates because we don't want kids dropping out of school to get a job in mining.

"If everything works out for these students, they could quite possibly get careers out of this beginning."

Bussey said the KMTS feels there isn't enough awareness about potential careers in mining for high school students.

He said there's still a disconnect between what happens during high school and what happens after high school.

"So, the primary objective of this is to raise awareness and make sure high school students know what opportunities exist.

"Another benefit of the program is that we raise their awareness to the point where they're excited enough to make a career choice.

"Trades are a big part of it, but if they want to be a geologist, for example, we don't discourage that either.

"It's all about whatever we can do to help them make an informed decision about the rest of their lives."

Of the six who completed the course, Niakrok is taking an assaying job at Meadowbank, while three are interested in carpentry or electrical, one in human resources and another wants to be a helicopter pilot.

Sergy said fluid programs are created to meet the needs of the students, the community and the mine.

She said the six Rankin students are enthusiastic, committed and hungry to learn.

"One of the goals of the program is to expose youth to what's out there for them, and the opportunities they have in industry or continuing with their education," said Sergy.

"The course was created about two years ago and, so far, it has been very successful.

"One girl in the first group I had was in health and safety at a mine during the program, and she went on to further her education in nursing.

"Some have gone on to various careers in mining and others to further their schooling in environment."

Sergy said Youth in Mining is a very hands-on, grassroots program with a holistic approach to supporting individuals in what they want to do.

She said it exposes youth to things they may not otherwise have the chance to experience.

"You go out to a mine site and there's a vast array of opportunities there.

"There's professionals working in many, many different areas.

"And there's a lot of young people there, so these youth look around and realize they can do that too.

"The program brings together people from the community and the mine site to support youth at the grassroots level, and that's so important to their development."

Angoshadluk said he totally enjoyed the program, especially the carpentry and environmental aspects.

He said there's a number of directions he'd like to pursue in hopes of one being regarded as a jack of all trades.

"I know, for sure, I'll be going into the trades, and I'd like to start by studying to be an electrician," said Angoshadluk.

"I'd also like to learn carpentry and welding.

"I did two years of job shadowing at Meadowbank previously and really enjoyed it.

"Programs like this are another positive step towards a good career."

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