 |
|
|
|
|
  
|
Training society ends succesful run Darrell Greer Northern News Services Published Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Former executive director, Kevin Bussey, said the society received its funding in January of 2010, but staff wasn't on-board until the following July. He said from that point on, the society used its funding over a 20-month period. "I've never been involved in a government program that worked so well and was as successful as this one was," said Bussey. "The feds put money into programs, but they stress partnerships because they don't want to be the only one putting money into a project. "In this program, Agnico-Eagle Mines (AEM) put in funds, as did the Government of Nunavut (GN), the Kivalliq Inuit Association and Kivalliq Partners in Development. "The feds entered this looking at putting in 50 cents on the dollar, but, when you look at the bottom line of funding put in and training delivered by our partners, especially AEM and Nunavut Arctic College (NAC), they only put in 30 or 40 cents on the dollar." Bussey said being a training-to-employment program helped immensely for the society to be successful. He said the society was never intended to go out and train 300 welders, for example, in the hope that they'd be needed sometime during this generation. "If AEM said it needed 50 truck drivers, then we'd recruit and train them. "Maybe only 40 would make it through the training, but they'd all be offered work when they did. "NAC wanted to launch a camp cook program, so we funded that as well. "A full 90 to 95 per cent of the people who were successful in the training we provided them with were offered employment." Bussey said the society also had good success with heavy-equipment training, with trainees ranging from recent Grade 12 graduates to adults in their 40s and 50s. He said, in total, the society trained and brought to employment about 400 Kivalliq beneficiaries. "We trained and employed people from every Kivalliq community. "The past 18 months saw a groundswell of support for further funding that came from mine-training associations in Nunavut, the NWT and the Yukon, as well as 25 or 30 similar programs across Canada. "We also saw support from territorial and provincial governments, birthright associations and industry. "The federal government was petitioned to come up with a replacement for the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Program which ended on March 31." Bussey said the feds made it clear there weren't going to be funding extensions, so project leaders attended a regional session on an exit strategy to end the programs. He said the three territorial mine-training associations are leading the way in putting together a pan-Northern strategy for training in sectors such as mining. "We first met in October of 2011, and it grew to the point where we hired consultants and had a draft proposal submitted to the federal government seeking a five-year commitment for a special pot of money for training in the North. "If created, it would be administered by a committee from all three territories with the funds being proportioned based on need." Bussey said the society also helped a lot of people navigate the system. He said many people in the Kivalliq are industrious and want a job, but don't know how to get into the system. "We helped guide them on doing a proper resume, whose hand to put it in and following up on the initial contact to get an interview. "One of our philosophies was we had to be advocates for each individual. "Once they were hired, we helped out with a retention strategy. "The society had an open line for them to call us, and we'd try to talk through any problems or personal crisis they may be dealing with to keep them on the job." Bussey said the society worked with its candidates on a one-on-one basis to ensure they were treated fairly. He said that service is really going to be missed. "There was talk the feds were going to announce another round of funding under a different program. "And the GN is working to see if there's an appetite for a Nunavut-wide mine-training society, which would involve all three regional Inuit associations. "Those discussions are ongoing, so we might hear something concrete during the mining symposium this week. "So the door is not shut on training just yet."
|
