• Creating a knowledgeable, skilled and sustainable workforce within a vibrant, mineral-rich resource industry. The Northern Manitoba Mining Academy operates as a wide-ranging partnership between academia (University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg, Brandon University, University College of the North), industry (Vale, HudBay), Indigenous Peoples in Manitoba groups (Manitoba Métis Federation, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak), and government (City of Flin Flon, Government of Manitoba, Northern Manitoba Sector Council). A central premise for the location of the Northern Manitoba Mining Academy in Flin Flon is proximity to the potential students, many of whom come from northern communities and for whom travel and accommodation in the south (i.e. Winnipeg) is prohibitively expensive. Proximity to the students’ community, but also video conferencing capabilities, accessible through the UCN, are major factors in providing education to those who mostly need it in the best possible conditions. From this point of view, accommodating students at a minimal or no charge is the next challenge that would allow the NMMA to grow and better serve its students. The Academy is in the process of securing funding for a modern, comfortable, and friendly ac78 2016-2017 Northern Prospector
commodation right on its premises; planned opening of the residence is early 2017. The Academy is actively reaching to people in the North as they are the people most aware of their wants and needs and of what it takes to live and work in the north. In terms of education, NMMA offers its own programs, mostly short courses in health and safety, courses organized by the University College of the North (wilderness safety, prospecting, and exploration), and courses organized in association with the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association (a variety of construction-related trades). However, the programming is not limited to those courses already on the syllabus: the Academy operates on open-door policy and welcomes people with their unique and diverse needs; it prides itself in its ability to tailor or create specific on-demand courses and deliver them locally in the North. The NMMA is also becoming increasingly involved in Manitoba Health-related training, such as training trauma counselors and response teams that can be located in northern communities and be prepared for timely and effective intervention. This is an area of increasing importance and growth for the Academy. NMMA is hosted in its own building, adjacent to the HudBay Minerals min-
ing complex in Flin Flon, Manitoba, and next door to the University College of the North, Flin Flon Regional Centre. It boasts several classrooms, chemical and computer labs, sample preparation facilities, underground mining heavy equipment simulator, and an assortment of geological microscopes. A full list of facilities and equipment is available on the NMMA’s website, miningacademy.ca. The Northern Manitoba Mining Academy also provides access to its worldclass facilities for field-based undergraduate courses, as well as graduate students and researchers doing field work. Full sample preparation facilities are offered to students and scientists in all natural and environmental sciences. The Northern Manitoba Mining Academy is a unique educational partnership with the specific purpose to serve the needs of Northern Manitoba communities in providing practical trades training in very close proximity to where potential students are. The NMMA is actively reaching to the northern communities and residents and proactively helping them become stronger; it is also paying heed to the wants and needs of Northern Manitoba residents. The Academy is growing fast and is ambitious in its aim to serve Northern Manitoba in its job creation endeavors. 6