Northern College and Partners Graduate First Diamond Drilling Trainees

Northern College, in collaboration with NPLH Drilling, Taykwa Tagamou First Nation, Moose Cree First Nation, and Mushkegowuk Council, has marked the completion of its Diamond Drilling Common Core – Basic Training program. This initiative, launched in August, is aimed at providing training opportunities in skilled trades for Indigenous peoples, women, and youth. The program, which ran throughout November, saw nine participants successfully complete the course, with three of them securing employment with NPLH Drilling prior to graduation.

The training is designed to prepare participants for careers in surface and underground drilling environments. Gabriella Desmarais, Indigenous Relations and Community Engagement Lead at NPLH Drilling, highlighted the partnership's role in fostering mutual growth and expressed eagerness to continue similar initiatives in the future. The graduates are set to begin hands-on training at Detour and Côté Gold sites.

Northern College President & CEO Mitch Dumas extended congratulations to the graduates, emphasizing the importance of the skills acquired during the training. The program reflects a broader effort to develop a skilled workforce in the mining industry across the region.