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Communiqué

Bridging Program and Faces of the Future Project Open Doors to Employment

Mathew Dzeylion, who participated in the mill process training, receives his certificate of completion and cap from Instructor Gary Latcham from the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology, AREVA’s partner in the Bridging Program.

Two initiatives that evolved out of brainstorming sessions for the AREVA Sustainable Development Awards could make a positive difference in northern Saskatchewan communities.

The Bridging Program is a 16-week pre-employment initiative designed to give young people who may not have the necessary skills a “bridge” into the workforce. It will be offered every January and September, and each session will be open to five candidates. Participants will attend classes to improve their math, reading and writing skills, shadow mill employees and attend presentations. The recently completed pilot project, which ran from January to April, proved its value: two young adults graduated, one is already employed at McClean Lake.

The Faces of the Future Project is directly related to the Bridging Program. Developed by a diverse team of McClean Lake employees including Miles Riegert, Monte Sawyer, Patty Simpson and Shelley Wilson, the project goal is to help young people experience the workplace and possibly enter the Bridging Program to upgrade their skills so they are qualified to work at the mine site on completion of the 16-week program.

The Faces of the Future Project team first got together to discuss a project for AREVA’s Sustainable Development Awards. They had a lot of ideas, but eventually focused on the social and economic pillars of the awards and what they could do to ensure sustainability in that sense.

They turned their attention to youth in northern communities, with a particular focus on giving at-risk youth new hope for the future. “We wanted to give something back to the communities we hire from,” says Monte Sawyer. “When you work up here, you see the potential of these young kids. They’re willing to work, but they need a chance to learn how to work. They need somebody to help them along, and hat’s what this program does.”

Faces of the Future does not promise a job; instead, it opens eyes to the opportunities, not only at McClean Lake, but also in the broader mining industry. Participants spend a week on-site going to class, job shadowing and talking to people. They get first-hand experience of the environment and a practical introduction to job opportunities and responsibilities.

A critical element in the program is ongoing contact through an outreach worker selected by the communities. The outreach worker follows up with participants after their week at McClean Lake, and helps those interested in pursuing a career in mining identify what they need to do to be successful.

The McClean Lake employees have been very supportive of the program. When the team sent out a call for volunteers to act as mentors, 40 people responded – and more are coming on board.

“I don’t have to look far to see examples of the impact this kind of mentoring can have on someone,” Sawyer says. “We already have a couple of young guys who benefited from this form of mentorship program. They were both willing to work and people here supported and mentored them. Now they’re role models in their communities.”

By opening doors to employment and creating more local role models, the Bridging Program and Faces of the Future are helping promote social and economic sustainability in northern communities.