Investments in the Amaruq and Meliadine Projects solidify Agnico Eagle’s commitment to the north and secure long-term employment opportunities for hundreds of Nunavummiut.
As we prepare to officially open our new Meliadine and Amaruq mines in 2019, we are taking stock of the social and economic development our activities have generated in the Kivalliq region.
Agnico Eagle has made significant investments over the past 10 years to develop our mining platform, build local infrastructure, and provide local stakeholders with access to training, development and employment opportunities.
We currently directly employ 398 Inuit employees, which include both full-time and part-time employees. We have proudly helped an almost non-existent middle class to grow in Nunavut and we currently represent 15% of Nunavut’s GDP, which should increase to nearly 25% after 2019.
“Over the past 10 years, Agnico Eagle has worked tirelessly with our community partners to create education, training, high-quality jobs and business opportunities in Nunavut. Our goal is to help close the gaps in social, health and economic outcomes that exits between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people,” says Dominique Girard, VP Nunavut.
Building Entrepreneurial Capacity:
In 2018 alone, there were approximately 80 companies registered with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) to provide goods and services to our Meadowbank Mine, Amaruq and Meliadine Projects. This is one of the key commitments in our IIBAs with the KIA and we jointly run the Business Opportunities Committee, which oversees the supplier pre-qualification and tendering process.
Our total spend with Inuit firms for the year was $408 million, representing 58% of our total spend in the region. These businesses have helped build and going forward, will sustain our operations by providing transportation, environmental, aviation, construction and mining services to our sites.
Providing Employment Skills and Opportunities: Our vision is to one day have 100% of our Nunavut workforce, including our management teams, hired directly from our northern communities. To achieve this goal, and our mid-term goal of obtaining 50% Inuit employment, we have established numerous developments, employment readiness and retention programs for our Inuit workforce. In 2018, we have provided 26,000 hours of training and have invested a total of about $5.4 million for our Inuit workforce, which represents 32% of the Inuit payroll.
Key to increasing Inuit employment levels is attracting more women to non-traditional mining roles, providing adult education and mentoring programs to develop future Inuit leaders, ensuring students are aware of jobs and careers in the mining industry, and continuing to offer skills development and training initiatives throughout the community. In 2018, 18% of our total Nunavut workforce was female and 33% of our Inuit workforce was female.
Over the past 10 years, we have come to admire the pioneering spirit of the Nunavummiut and the tremendous potential to do business in the region. Agnico Eagle wants to be the company that all Inuit businesses want to work with, and all Inuit want to work for, as together we contribute to the economic prosperity of Nunavut.