Ashton Kadjuk is Agnico Eagle’s first Inuk underground supervisor at our Meliadine project.
As Agnico Eagle brings two new mines in Nunavut into production, the human resources team has been busy recruiting Inuit into the workforce and ensuring they have the proper training and skills to advance their job prospects.
Agnico Eagle worked in partnership with Nunavut Arctic College and the Centre de formation professionelle of Val-d’Or to develop a customized training program for the underground mining industry. The College had not previously provided any local specific mine training programs in the Kivalliq region.
With Agnico Eagle determined to increase its local workforce, a pilot program – An Introduction to Underground Mining – was conducted to provide classroom training, learning modules and trainers, and handson underground training.
To graduate, students had to complete a program of approximately 450 hours (12 weeks), which included in-class study and practical underground training. Classes began in September and ended in mid-December, with students hailing from the Kivalliq communities of Arviat, Baker Lake, Coral Harbour, Naujaat and Rankin Inlet helping pilot the program. Those who graduated received a Certificate of Completion, which will make them eligible for potential opportunities to work underground at an Agnico Eagle mine site.
Luke Mamgark worked at Meliadine as a janitor in the first half of 2018 and heard about the pilot program opportunity. “I wanted to try to carve a new path, try something different and I have been enjoying the program and learning a lot. I hope to eventually drive a haul truck or a boom truck, a heavy piece of equipment. I would definitely encourage others to take this program, I think they would benefit from it like I have.”
Marie-Josée Joyal, Project Counsellor, says,“ Agnico Eagle identified the local employment increase as a near future roadblock to our growth since no specific underground training is available in Nunavut. We are really pleased that the program started with eight students and all eight remained. They were very determined to complete this important program, because it will help them pursue job opportunities with Agnico Eagle in Nunavut in the future.”