“4 > 1 experiencing. a_ of trained workers and ‘it’s MINING AND exploration ‘companies are. already shortage going to ‘get. worse, says. ‘provincial mines minister Bill Bennett. “We're predicting “the * mining industry will stay, ~ strong. With China and India | i showing no signs of slowing down, B.C. has the oppor- _ tunity’ to. fill a’ world-wide Ly - oped with the:Smithers Ex- : -ploration: Group, in’ some : , demand for metals, ” he said, ” last week. . Bennett ‘said a national mining organization fore- »,casts the need for 8,000 ‘skilled mining and explora- tion workers in B. C, alone i in: ‘the next 10 years... It means the industry. will, . have to scour the country to find" the people it needs, he ‘Mining school. - ~set to. “expand | NORTHWEST _ COMMUNITY College’ is » on the verge of exporting its . mining and exploration job training program to other areas of the province. 2 ‘Not all of the details: have - been ironed out but the col- dege will be in a position to -offer-the program, devel-— fashion to colleges or other: _ institutions elsewhere, says - college’ official Holly- -Anne . Burrows.. _ “It could be a partnership with other institutions:or by - ‘some other means. We just , don’t know yet,” she said. “It’s great that-.we will ‘be able to use this model of wi j BUITOWS. added. delivery and our expertise,” . Smithers Exploration Group. * received: $360,000 from. the . province’ last year: “for ‘its ~ first‘school of mining train- ing offerings and are getting $300,000 this year to con-. tinue. Offering the same type of program elsewhere will also be financed by the province. The exploration and min-. ing. school was developed. - '- in response to: the rapidly — , growing search for’precious °. “.and base metals-by mineral . resource companies on prop- - ‘. erties in the northwest and by. the subsequent demand | for trained people. - As.much as $100 million was spent last year in the northwest by mining and ex- ~ ploration companies. Programs offered « ‘this “year include camp manager, prospector . basic training, driller’s helper, and mining | exploration field assistant. In Terrace, an eight-day camp manager training pro- gram begins March 13: _~ Students will have to acquire a number of safety, transportation and. equip- ment certificates before the ~ actual field training begins. The program targets people who have experience in the _ bush, and want to enhance those skills to a camp man- ager level. Other courses are be- , ing offered in Houston, in Smithers and around. the northwest. Mackenzie is also on.the list. . Depending upon the pro- _ gram, students learn. GPS, map, compass and note-tak- ing basics; wilderness safety and survival; safety and field - ‘communications; grid layout methods; basic rock and soil sampling techniques and - core splitting. Nearly 90 field assistants graduated last year and the college says half found im- mediate work. — - Northwest Community . College is also taking: part in a provincial effort called Mining Rocks, which high- lights job and career oppor- tunities in the mining indus- try. -The career and jobs fair comes is here March 28 be- tween 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Best Western. ‘and some of the western ewan,” Bennett said.’ force.‘ % looking boundaries, beginning with - money and do the things you added. .“There’ll be looking ‘at areas where there is high unemployment, like the east, provinces, such as Saskatch- ‘And he says there will have to be increased. immi- —: gration to. provide a work- But the province is also inside. its » own information sessions outlin- _ ing Career prospects. “You can make a ton ‘of like to: do,” said Bennett of « "mining and exploration ca- _ reer opportunities. “Tf you have a job: now . and for whatever reason you _are not enjoying it and want . “ Thousands needed to fill g SHR VIBE mining indust Bill Bennett: something else, there is op: portunity here” = Bennett is particulatly — focussed on ‘native. commu- nities whose traditional ter- : ‘ritories not only contain the vast majority of potential — lies and could, make a very: sd OPPERS The Terrace Standard, Wednesday March 22, 2006 - Att 635.7 1 iS mines but which have unem- ~ ployment rates much higher than elsewhere in the Prov- ince. “They have. large fami- handy source of employees,” _ said Bennett. | The latest provincial gov- ernment effort to highlight’ , mining and exploration em-— ployment is called Mining Rocks. . . 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