Empowering the Next Generation: The 2022 Reclamation Training and Skills Development Pilot Program

The 2022 Reclamation Training and Skills Development Pilot Program was developed in partnership with Chu Cho Environmental (CCE), an Indigenous-owned environmental services company. The goal of the program was to provide training and skills development opportunities to young people entering the workforce in the field of land reclamation.

The pilot program offered employment opportunities with CCE to students from the McLeod Lake Indian Band and Tsay Keh Dene Nation. In addition to job shadowing environmental mine staff, the program provided one-on-one training and mentorship in land reclamation and environmental monitoring. It also helped the students achieve certifications in related fields such as reclamation, environmental monitoring and environmental stewardship.

The program included hands-on fieldwork at Mount Milligan Mine, where the students participated in activities such as invasive plant monitoring, insect monitoring, vegetation monitoring, groundwater well reclamation, and seed and stem collections. This gave them practical experience in the field and allowed them to apply what they learned in the training program.

In summer 2023, a short video was released. It highlights the experiences and achievements of the students and the impact the program had on their professional development. The 2022 Reclamation Training and Skills Development Pilot Program serves as a successful example of how partnerships between industry and Indigenous communities can create opportunities for young people and contribute to the development of a skilled and knowledgeable workforce in the field of land reclamation.