Mineral Exploration is the official publication of the Association of Mineral Exploration British Columbia.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/468124
16 S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 Photograph : Cour te sy of AMTA Robert R. Hedley Award Excellence in Social and Environmental Responsibility RECIPIENT: ABORIGINAL MENTORING AND TRAINING ASSOCIATION With the tremendous resurgence of exploration and mining industry activity in British Columbia since 2001, it was recog- nized that Aboriginal communities could be much more involved and meaningfully included in socioeconomic development, including skills training, education and building career oppor- tunities for First Nations in the industry. This recognition went well beyond the practice of encour- aging early engagement with First Nations in exploration and development to take into account the untapped human resource in Aboriginal communities. With AME BC as a founding part- ner, the British Columbia Aboriginal Mine Training Association (BC AMTA), later renamed the B.C. Aboriginal Mentoring and Training Association, was created in October 2009 to under- take skills training, education and career development for First Nations with industry. From 2009 through 2014, AMTA attracted candidates representing more than 225 First Nations bands throughout B.C. and beyond. BC AMTA had a mandate of finding and preparing Aboriginal people for the various types of employment related to exploration and mining activities. An early benefactor of the BC AMTA programs was the New Afton mine near Kamloops. In preparation for its 2012 opening of the underground mine, New Gold Inc. required a workforce of 400 people, and BC AMTA was able to provide more than 100 candidates. The BC AMTA/New Gold initiative was the 2013 recipient of the B.C. Mining Diversity Award sponsored by Ernst and Young, awarded jointly by the Mining Association of B.C. and the B.C. Mining HR Task Force. Although BC AMTA's roots were in mining and exploration, the program became so successful that it began working with other resource sectors and changed its name to the Aboriginal Mentoring and Training Association (AMTA) to expand upon its success. As a federally registered charitable organization, AMTA had offices in Cranbrook, Merritt, Williams Lake and Vancouver. The results are truly remarkable, with over 1,000 AMTA candidates currently working for more than 350 employers. Other key indica- tors of success include 45 per cent of the candidates being under the age of 35; high female participation; and an average wage exceeding Some of the team that made the Aboriginal Mentoring and Training Association a success.