Matawa First Nations is building an Aboriginal workforce through the Kiikenomaga Kikenjigewen Employment and Training Services (KKETS) Ring of Fire Aboriginal Training Alliance (RoFATA) training programs.
“(The trainees are aiming for) full-time employment within the mining sector,” said Mary Meshake, RoFATA career development officer. “There’s a lot of future potential developments that are taking place outside our communities and most of the trainees that are in (the KKETS) programs are really excited to be a part of what is going to be happening.”
Eight RoFATA trainees recently completed the 15-week Welding Level 1 program at Grand River Employment and Training in Six Nations while another 10 trainees completed the 10-week Heavy Equipment Operators program at the Operating Engineers Training Institute in Morrisburg in early July.
“We’re currently running our Security program, which started on Aug. 25,” Meshake said, noting there are 13 trainees in the Security program. “We utilized the new (regional) training facility in Neskantaga.”
The four-week theory portion of the Security program was completed on Sept. 19, with the practical portion scheduled for Sept. 22-Oct. 10 in Ginoogaming.
“There is a huge opportunity for that group,” Meshake said. “They can further that education (by) going into Police Foundations.”
Peter Rasevych, KKETS retention services officer, said about 145 trainees completed 10 Mining Readiness programs, one in each of the nine Matawa communities and one in Thunder Bay, this past spring.
“In May, they started their RoFATA training, their pre-trades pre-apprenticeship training,” Rasevych said. “Those students just graduated Aug. 15 and some of them are still in programming now, just getting out on Sept. 12.”
KKETS staff are currently working to get the trainees work in their fields of study.
“Being in the union helps,” Rasevych said. “But with respect to the mining, the Ring of Fire — that is a challenge because as you know what is going on up there, there is nothing happening yet.”
Rasevych said a number of programs are currently underway in addition to the Security program, including the Remote Camp Cook, Remote Camp Support and the Environmental Monitoring programs.
“These people are expected to run the mining camps,” Rasevych said. “There is going to be a whole cohort there finishing by Christmas.”
Rasevych is pleased with the success rates of the trainees so far, noting they have completed the two levels of training to date with about an 80-90 per cent success rate.
Meshake encouraged community members to apply for training.
“We’re always taking applications,” Meshake said, noting they currently have about 475 applications on their database. “Anyone from the Matawa communities can come and see us at our location at 28 North Cumberland St., 3rd floor to ask questions and complete applications.”