The first component of training at the College of New Caledonia is now in the books for potential work at a new underground mine in the Wells area.
John Renaud, the Health, Safety and Training Manager for Osisko Development, says 11 students are halfway towards achieving their Level 1 Underground Miner Certification.
Renaud says they have completed 6 weeks of in-class training at CNC, and are now ready to do some field training.
“It’s a 6 month practicum that the students are going to be going through where they will be operating several pieces of equipment, both on surface and underground. We realize it’s an underground program. However, there are times when surface operations need operators as well, so they’re going to get the full spectrum of operating equipment.”
Renaud says Osisko is committed to hiring local people and hopes to run another course in the fall.
“The training is going to be key to the operation, so we really want to encourage folks in the local area, in the Quesnel District, to apply. That’s what we’re looking for. We want local folks and I that’s key to our success of our operation, to make sure that everybody from Quesnel that wants to work in mining has the opportunity, and gets the proper training.”
Renaud says if people are interested, they should get in tough with the company, as he says they do hang onto all of the resumes that they get.
The training was delivered by Osisko Development, the College of New Caledonia, the Centre for Training Excellence in Mining (CTEM), and the Mining Industrial Human Resource Council.
The Cariboo Gold Project is currently in the environmental assessment stage.
The mine is expected to employ 460 people.