Province invests $3.6M in trades training for Indigenous people at Greenstone Mine
The Ontario has invested another $3.6 million to help workers advance their careers in the skilled trades. This time, the funding will help 150 Indigenous people train to work at a mine north of Thunder Bay.
The funding will be used to support a program led by Minodahmun Development LP, a First Nation-owned partnership that works in the mining sector. The program will help Indigenous workers learn skills to become construction craft workers, heavy equipment operators, truck drivers, crane operators, welders and millwrights, and to help build and run the Greenstone Gold Mine in Geraldton.
“While better days are ahead as we approach summer, we know that many Indigenous people in Northern communities and throughout our province have suffered job losses in the past year and are still looking for meaningful employment and well-paying opportunities,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. “There are many promising career opportunities in the skilled trades, and we want to make sure people are able to access the training they need to get these good jobs and support their families. This project is a great way to connect Indigenous communities with fulfilling careers and support the growth of Northern Ontario’s mining sector.”
Minodahmun Development’s Indigenous Workplace Development Program will focus on helping Indigenous communities, including women, youth, and people with disabilities, prepare for apprenticeships in construction and mining trades.
The program will consist of a combination of in-class instruction, hands-on learning and job placements with companies that are directly involved in the new mine. Project participants can receive financial supports to offset the costs of accommodation, transportation and child-care while they train, and participating employers who offer work placements to program participants will be able to get up to $3,000 in wage subsidies per placement.
The Greenstone Gold Mine is expected to will employ on average 550 people during the three-year construction and 450 employees during its ongoing regular operations.
Mining operations are an important source of employment in the province. Ontario’s mining sector directly employed over 28,000 people in 2020. Over the first four months of 2021, direct mining sector employment grew by 1.9 percent compared to last year, which is higher than the rate of growth for all jobs across Ontario (1.3 percent).
“As our economy emerges stronger than ever from this pandemic, our government continues to support meaningful opportunities for Indigenous communities across the province,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Affairs. “The Greenstone Gold Mine is another incredible development in the heart of Northern Ontario that will create jobs and prosperity for Geraldton and local Indigenous communities. This project has the potential to become an epicentre of mining in Northwestern Ontario based on its strategic location near the Ring of Fire region.”
This free training will be available to Indigenous jobseekers from Animbiigoo Zaagi'igan Anishinaabek, Aroland and Ginoogaming First Nations and the Municipality of Greenstone.
“The Greenstone Project is a generational employment opportunity for our First Nations and the local community, and we believe this is the beginning of something much bigger as the region transforms into Ontario’s newest mining hub,” said Joe Donio, President of Minodahmun Development LP. “For our First Nations to truly benefit from mining, our people need to be the ones building and working at Greenstone Gold Mines. This community-based training program is designed to get our people ready for employment with a focus on skilled trades, work placements and apprenticeships through culturally appropriate training. It will remove barriers and create a strong Indigenous workforce by enhancing education, training and work experience opportunities to create intergenerational prosperity for members.”
The first training sessions through the new program will start on June 28, with more sessions launching soon after. Interested individuals can contact Minodahmun Development at john.glover@minodahmun.ca.
This province’s investment in the program is part of Ontario’s $115-million Skills Development Fund, designed to support fresh ideas for training and skills development that will help our economy recover and prosper.
Featured image: Conceptual image of Greenstone Gold Mine. (Greenstone Mines)