HAY RIVER (August 20, 2013) – The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) welcomes today’s announcement of $5.9 million in federal funding to support training that will enable NWT residents to take advantage of current and future employment and business opportunities in the NWT mining sector.

Funding for the Mine Training Society’s Mining the Future project was announced today by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The Prime Minister was joined by Premier Bob McLeod and Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Jackson Lafferty.

“Mining continues to be one of the most important sectors of the Northwest Territories’ economy and has the potential to create jobs and opportunities for both Northerners and southern Canadians,” said Premier McLeod. “Investing in the skills and capacity of NWT residents is one of the best ways to ensure they enjoy the full benefits of responsible, sustainable development in our territory and to support the ongoing growth and diversification of our economy.”

“Our government works closely with the Mine Training Society to ensure that NWT residents have the skills and training they need to take full advantage of the opportunities available to them in the mining sector,” said Minister Lafferty. “We are pleased to support the society and welcome the Government of Canada’s commitment to supporting the aspirations of northern Canadians with today’s funding announcement.”

The Mining the Future project is a training-to-employment initiative for Aboriginal residents of the NWT supported by industry, the federal, territorial and Aboriginal governments. The GNWT will invest over $700,000 in cash and in-kind contributions to the Mine Training Society over the life of the project.

In separate meetings with the Prime Minister, Premier McLeod emphasized the importance of meeting the planned April 1, 2014 devolution implementation date and talked about the importance of Canada continuing to partner with the GNWT on strategic infrastructure investments to help support ongoing economic development in the territory.

For more information:

Brenda Norris
Media Liaison
Government of the Northwest Territories
Tel:         (867) 669-2302
Email:    brenda_norris@gov.nt.ca