Teck and college team up to train women in mining

— Photo courtesy acareerinmining.ca/en/

Mining has traditionally been perceived as men’s work, however that perception has changed greatly with women working in all aspects of mining. The mining industry is one of the most important sectors of the Canadian economy and advancing the interests of women in the mining sector ensures a sustainable future. To help create mining opportunities for women a three-week training program is being offered by the College of the Rockies, Fernie Campus, in partnership with Teck.

The goal of the program is to introduce women to the types of careers available within the surface coal mining industry. The training program is being offered to women across the Elk Valley, Crowsnest Pass and Cranbrook. The program includes: Fundamentals and Procedures in Surface Mining, Computer Skills, Occupational First Aid Level 1, Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), Health, Safety & Reclamation Code for Mines, Fall Protection, Haul Truck Simulator, Mine Tour and Ride-Along Training with Veteran Operators. The program also includes soft skills training in: Workplace Communication, Personality Dimensions, Conflict Resolution, Goal Setting, Time Management and Team Building. Work/Life Balance workshops and Resume Writing are also included in the training.

Upon completion of the course, participants will gain skills to improve their employability within the industry/workforce. This is the first time a course of this nature has been offered through the College of the Rockies. Dependant on interest, this program could be offered a second time in 2014.

The haul truck training in this course is a reduced version (one week) of what is available in the full Haul Truck Operator program (four weeks).

The College of the Rockies is extremely excited about this great opportunity and would like to urge as many women in the Elk Valley and surrounding area as possible to enroll in the program. The benefits will be far reaching.

Cost of the course is $995. For information on potential funding options and/or to register, please contact the Fernie Campus at 250-423-4691 or the Program Coordinator, Valerie Luznar-Purdy at 250-423-3827.