Ring of Fire Aboriginal Training Alliance receives $5.9 million

1 of 2Unveiling of the RoFATA logo and public announcement of $5.9 million in funding at Confederation College. (L to R) Don Bernosky, vice-president, regional workforce development, Confederation College; Leanne Hall, vice-president, human resources at Noront Resources Ltd.; and Morris Wapoose, program administrator/co-ordinator at KKETS. — Photo courtesy KKETS

2 of 2Matawa carpentry trainees attending the Manitoba Regional Council. — Photo courtesy KKETS

A major milestone has been reached for Matawa First Nations and the Kiikenomaga Kikenjigewen Employment & Training Services (KKETS) in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Just this month, the Ring of Fire Aboriginal Training Alliance (RoFATA), a partnership that includes these two bodies, received over $5.9 million from the Government of Canada's Skills and Partnership Fund to provide training for employment in the mining sector for the people of Matawa First Nations.

The funding will provide members of the Matawa First Nations with a chance at not only a job but a career and a future.

Dawn Desmoulin, communications officer at RoFATA and KKETS, said it all started with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Matawa First Nations, KKETS, Noront Resources Ltd. and the Confederation College of Applied Arts and Technology, creating the RoFATA partnership last October. RoFATA's key objective is to provide training-to-employment opportunities to support the Matawa First Nations people.

"This is huge," said Desmoulin. "This first funding announcement is only the tip of the iceberg with what we're going to be doing. We will making a difference in the lives of our Matawa members in nine communities, where a lot of them are in need of training. The majority need training to acquire sustainable employment."

Matawa First Nations are spread out through nine communities around Thunder Bay. There are five remote communities and four road-access communities. The ring of fire and the Eagle's Nest project is right in the Matawa First Nations' backyard.

"It's in our traditional lands and territories, and I think to have our own members to be able to get trained and become employable gives us a sense of ownership as to what's going to be happening up there," said Desmoulin. "Approximately 260 trainees will be trained and 196 trainees will enter into employment through RoFATA."

Noront Resources Ltd. is the industry partner committed to creating opportunities to enable the Matawa First Nations people to participate in all aspects of its mining operation on the Eagle's Nest's nickel, copper, platinum and palladium deposit.

The training is scheduled to start as soon as October and programs will run anywhere from five to 20 weeks. All the training will be completed in a timely manner that coincides with when Noront will need the workers. It is all based around the construction timeline for Noront.

Training programs being offered include mining essentials, environmental monitoring, base line cutting, security guard, remote camp cook, remote camp support, underground common core, underground diamond driller helper, heavy-equipment operator, pre-trades carpentry, pre-trades electrical and more.

"The training has a large theoretical component and these will be delivered to Matawa First Nations communities," said Desmoulin. "But the hands-on technical part will be done in the city through our partner, the Confederation College of Applied Arts and Technology, or here at the KKETS office where we have three classrooms."

According to Desmoulin, this partnership and funding is setting precedents for Matawa First Nations youth. Everything, she said, is for the future of the youth, as the next generation is responsible for carrying on their legacy.

"It's a grand and monumental time right now," Desmoulin said. "We are ready to move forward for our communities and continue to make partnerships that will help us prosper into the future. It means great things for our people."