Northern College’s Apprenticeship, Community and Corporate Training (ACCT) division has partnered with the Hamlet of Arviat, Nunavut, to develop and deliver a welding trade readiness program in Arviat.
The eight-week trade readiness program will prepare students to work as welder helpers in both the mining and construction industries. Course content will be based on the first semester of Northern College’s mechanical technician - welder fitter program, in which students learn the fundamental skills and knowledge required to carry out basic welding tasks in a safe and competent manner.
Northern College has previously delivered its Haileybury School of Mines surface diamond driller assistant common core program in Arviat, and the benefits of that program prompted the community to request further work readiness training programs from the college. The welding trade readiness program has been developed in direct response to the demand for welding helpers for a variety of projects scheduled to start in Nunavut in 2014, including Agnico-Eagle’s Meliadine advanced-stage gold project.
“Developing strong partnerships with industry, government, and training institutions is a key component of the Hamlet of Arviat’s Community Economic Development Plan, and our strong relationship with Northern College has demonstrated how successful these partnerships can be,” said Keith Collier, community economic development officer at the Hamlet of Arviat.
“Working together with numerous other partners, the Hamlet of Arviat and Northern College have provided training to dozens of Arviat residents, which has resulted in dozens of new jobs for Arviammiut. Northern College is gaining a reputation for good programs and excellent instructors in Arviat, and the hamlet looks forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership with Northern College in the future.”
Northern College has been asked to join the Arviat Training Initiative Advisory Group, to help develop training activities in line with the needs of Nunavut’s growing mining industry. The college recently assisted the Hamlet in establishing a welding lab, where the welding trade readiness program will take place.
“As an educational institution, responding to community need is essential in achieving our goal of success for all through learning and partnerships,” said Fred Gibbons, president of Northern College.
“This philosophy guides our interactions with industry and educational institutions not only in northern Ontario, but throughout Canada around the world. By working with the Hamlet of Arviat and local industry to develop training programs in accordance with demand from local employers, we are helping to grow the community’s economy. A strong economy will let the hamlet and its people thrive.”
