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RAPAPORT... The Surface Miner Training Program Development project in Canada will enable the Northwest Territories Mine Training Society and Aurora College to launch a new training program this summer that is geared toward preparing the northern population for a wave of employment opportunities in the mining sector beginning in 2016. The region already hosts three diamond mines and a fourth, Gahcho Kué, is expected to begin production as early as 2016. Aurora College and the Mine Training Society identified a collaborative approach in support of a new Surface Miner Training Program that will build on an existing Underground Miner Training Program, according to the government. Leona Aglukkaq, the Minister of the Environment, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council, said, "Our government is committed to creating jobs, growth and long-term prosperity. Mining and exploration sectors are key employers and contributors to economic development in the territories. Building capacity in this sector will ensure Northerners have better access to quality training and jobs in their own communities." Jackson Lafferty, the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment for the Northwest Territories, said, "The opportunity to partner with the federal government and industry to provide job training that is directly linked to economic growth will benefit both the labor market and recruitment efforts. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment is pleased to support the development of this specialized curriculum that will allow more Northerners get the skills they need in order to work in the mining industry."
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