Kenjgewin Teg has teamed up with Cambrian College in collaboration with Transport Training Centres of Canada to provide a new on-hands heavy equipment operator program to a local First Nation.
According to Beverley Roy, the president of the institution based on Manitoulin Island, six members of Whitefish River First Nation are getting the training they need to prepare them for careers in mining, forestry, road construction and public utilities.
She says the new program was introduced in mid-January and their six students currently are learning how to operate a variety of heavy machinery including backhoes, excavators and the like.
Roy emphasizes bringing the programs directly to the community makes it easier to attend rather than having to travel or move elsewhere.
She adds training local workers also means having trained personnel living with in the host community, which is an important part in the growth and development of the local economy.
