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Thursday, May 2, 2013 Williams Lake Tribune
Mining week 2013
Pilot projects put secondary students in mines
Gordon Armour
Special to The Tribune In response to an increasing level of skill shortages and to build career awareness among youth in the mining industry, The BC Mining HR Task Force is under-
taking a pilot program in secondary school work experience for senior students interested in seeking careers in the mining industry. This pilot program has been, and continues to be delivered by School District 27 in partnership with Mount
Training in action
Polley Mines and Taseko Gibraltar Mine. In the past year and half, the district has had students on work experience with the mines in the areas of engineering, welding, millwright, mechanics and machinist. Under the pilot, the district is to report
out to the Task Force and provide a best practices manual that can be used in other jurisdictions. An interim report was made to the fall meetings of the HR Mine Managers and Mine Managers provincially. Youth
Thompson Rivers University Aboriginal mining training students participate in a traffic control training exercise with instructor Sue Gunn (second from left).
Working to remove barriers “We aim to take away any barriers a student might have to attending training,” McLeod says. “It might be child care for a single mom or maybe it’s providing that safe place to learn every day where they have a hot meal and or transportation to and from the program. “If you take all those barriers away, provide a scheduled time for pickup and a hot lunch, the students experience success.” All they need, she says, is the will to “make a change in their life.” And they are, over 500 Aboriginal candidates have achieved employment throughout BC. In three fast years, BC AMTA has partnered with government, First Nations and the BC Mining industry to support, train and recruit Aboriginal people. On March 20, 2013 they reached a milestone of placing 500 men and women from First Nations communities across the province into sustainable mining-related ca-
pursued by School District 27. Under a pilot project endorsed by the BC Mining HR Task Force, the school district has entered into an agreement with Gibraltar Mine and Mount Polley Mine and
their respective unions to provide opportunities for secondary students to undertake Secondary School Apprenticeship at the two mine sites. See MINES Page A25
Proud Supporters of the Mining Industry!
Monica Lamb-Yorski photo
Continued From Page A23
Apprenticeship Pilot As the issues of an aging workforce and related skill shortages evolve, the initiation of innovative recruitment and training plans for young people in high school career preparation programs is being
reers. BC AMTA has set in motion an achievable process that proves a new way of doing business with First Nations is possible. “Understanding the needs, motivations and challenges of our partners and candidates has brought us to this milestone” said Laurie Sterritt, BC AMTA’s CEO. “While every workplace and every community is unique, our dedicated staff have been able to adapt their approach to
ensure we maintain high quality training that is both respectful and flexible. Our candidates become confident and wellprepared for the mining and exploration industries.” Currently, BC AMTA is offering HEO training in Williams Lake on a project that benefits the community as well as the candidates. It’s the type of multilayered community development project that the organization is hoping
to offer through its other offices as well, where candidates gain knowledge in a ITA-certified training program (one of two offered in BC) while also gaining work-expertise on an actual land development site. It’s truly win-win and it’s complicated but doable. To learn more about Taseko visit www.tasekomines.com To learn more about BC AMTA visit www. bcamta.ca
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