Northern College offers mining program for free to members of an nearby Indigenous community

Members of Taykwa Tagamou Nation in northeastern Ontario will be able to get some free training to help them enter the mining industry.

Northern College which has campuses in Haileybury, Kirkland Lake, Moosonee and Timmins has partnered with NPLH Drilling to offer the diamond drilling common core basic training program free of charge to members of the Taykwa Tagamou Nation, just outside Cochrane.

"As a good community partner we're looking at what we can do to give back to the communities that we serve in our catchment area," said Dean Lessard, Northern College's senior vice-president of academics.

"And this was one way that we can support this economic development."

Tuition for the program would normally cost $4,500.

Lessard says the program offers the foundation for graduates to get entry-level jobs in the mining industry.

"It gives them kind of an introductory building of a skill set in order for them to at least look to start securing full-time employment in the mining industry," he said.

Lessard adds that theschool and the drilling company wantto attract more Indigenous women and young people to the mining industry by offering them the program at no cost.

"Our shared mission is to actively recruit, train, and retain individuals in the drilling and mining sectors, with a particular focus on empowering Indigenous peoples, women, and youth," said NPLH Drilling CEO Dana Blaquiere in a news release.

The program is due to begin in the fall.

Lessard says feedback from the community so far has been positive.