**NORTHERN COLLEGE MEDIA RELEASE**

June 28th, 2018, Timmins ON–Today, Northern College was pleased to announce the transitional “passing of the torch” of the Underground Hard Rock Miner Common Core program offering from Glencore’s Kidd Operations to Tahoe Canada. The new partnership with Tahoe Canada will build on the foundation of the important work started between the College and Glencore’s Kidd Operations.

 

“This training program has been a great success for all parties involved and is a great example of how industry and educational institutions can work hand-in-hand to enhance a region’s capacity,” said Christine Heavens, Executive Director, Community, Business Development and Employment Services of Northern College. “Our long-standing positive working relationship with Glencore has ensured that our students are developing the necessary skills and learning to use the tools and techniques actually used on the job site. We look forward to continuing the success of this program with Tahoe Canada.”

 

Northern College first began offering the program in partnership with Glencore in April 2016. Since the inception of the partnership, 60 students, which include 12 women and 14 Indigenous participants, from 11 cohorts have successfully completed the Underground Hard Rock Miner Common Core program.

 

“Kidd Operations is very proud to have assisted more than 60 individuals launch their mining careers through our partnership with Northern College. Under the expert guidance of highly qualified trainers, these students had the unique opportunity to learn and develop skills at an operation with a proud history of developing and mining the world’s deepest base-metal mine. Working alongside highly experienced miners, the training they received provided excellent exposure to Kidd’s award-winning safety culture and systems,” said Kidd Operations’ General Manager Steve Badenhorst. “As the Hard Rock Underground Common Core program moves to Tahoe Canada, we would like to extend our congratulations to Northern College and their new partner as they build on this legacy.”

 

The latest cohort of students to complete the program graduated today. Graduates leave Northern equipped with a firm understanding of the working environment underground, training certifications, and experience operating mining equipment. As an added value, participants also earn a post-secondary credit that can be applied towards several Northern College programs, including the online Mining Engineering Technician diploma program.

 

“This program has shown that, by working with local industry, we can provide training solutions for a powerful workforce by preparing learners with the skills and experiences to work effectively and safely in the mining industry,” said Dr. Fred Gibbons, President and CEO of Northern College. “Our students are able to start careers at a faster rate by training and learning full-time. These are the types of training programs that will help keep our workforce competitive and I applaud the work done by Glencore and to Tahoe for taking the next step in the delivery of this program.”

 

The final program cohort with Glencore is scheduled to start on September 4. Afterwards, Northern College will continue to offer the Underground Hard Rock Miner Common Core program in partnership with Tahoe Canada.

 

“Tahoe Canada is very excited to continue building on the success of this Program,” said Peter Van Alphen, Vice President of Operations, Tahoe Canada. “The partnership between the College staff and our skilled trainers will allow us to collectively build on the legacy this unique training opportunity provides, while delivering hands-on learning, leveraging industry-leading tools and technique, that will help us build a competitive, safe workforce for the mining industry today and well into the future.”

 

“We are extremely proud of this partnership and our ability to not only deliver an experience that will help students prepare for jobs once they graduate but prepare them with the skills they require to be safe in the workplace,” said Jordan Vince, Director of Health & Safety, Tahoe Canada. “By working together to develop a stronger, safer workforce, we are creating an environment where everyone involved will enjoy and benefit from our success.”

                                                                                                                                                            

This 12-week program totals 580 training hours, including the first-hand experience gained by embedding students into operational crews and following production schedules.

 

To learn more about the Underground Hard Rock Miner Common Core program, or to register for the next cohort, contact Northern Training Division at 705-235-3211 ext. 2174 or hardrockminer@northern.on.ca.