JOBS IN MINING

Sector Career Opportunities Series -

This booklet has been produced by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment in conjunction with Energy Mines and Petroleum Resources and the NWT Chamber of Mines. Our aim is to assist northern people in planning and making career decisions. This is the first in a series of information booklets being produced by the Career Development Division in an attempt to promote education and career opportunities across the various sectors in the Northwest Territories.

The Mining Sector is one of the largest employers and it is the largest contributor to the overall economic activity of the Northwest Territories. With the increased mineral exploration of the 1990's, mining promises to continue as an important employer of northern people in years to come.

These sector booklets will provide current and accurate northern labour market information that will help you in making your career decisions. I encourage you to consider them when exploring and researching your options.

The Honourable Charles Dent
Minister of Education, Culture & Employment

INTRODUCTION

There are many natural resources in the Northwest Territories. Mining was one of the first industries to move North and it continues to be a major source of employment, income and possibilities. Over the years, gold, zinc, lead, and nickel are some of the resources that have been mined and sold from the NWT. With the discovery of diamonds, potential growth in the mining industry has taken a significant step forward. There are many jobs and opportunities that arise from this industry. Now is a great time to take advantage of this exciting and prosperous business.

WHAT IS MINING?

Mining is the finding, digging, sorting, sending out and selling of the earth's valuable minerals and resources. Often these are metals such as gold, zinc, lead, nickel, uranium and tungsten, but sometimes they are not metals but diamonds, silicon, or coal. The fact that these minerals and resources are in demand by people around the world make mining a worthwhile industry.

FINDING MINERALS

This is called exploration. Prospectors and geologists look for worthwhile ore bodies (natural concentrations of minerals) by looking at maps and spending a lot of time on the land with a rock hammer. When they find something interesting they claim it by staking it, which means putting up markers around the area. They must record the claim with the government.

The area is then studied by geophysicists. By sending electro-magnetic signals into the ground and reading the signals that bounce back up, they can tell if there are metallic minerals.

IS IT WORTH STARTING A MINE?

Companies drill deep holes into the ground to see what kinds of valuable minerals are down there and to estimate how much there might be. When things look good, they might dig some out by building a very small mine. This is called bulk sampling and it gives a better idea of what they have found. Next, mine experts decide whether there is a large enough ore body to start a mine. It may take many years of exploration to reach this stage.

BUILDING A MINE

It usually takes about two years to build a mine. All the supplies and equipment have to get to the site. Sometimes this means building an airstrip and a road, or at least a winter road. Buildings and a camp for workers to stay in are needed. Then a path to the ore body must be built. Lots of waste rock must be moved to do this. The mine is started. This is either a large open pit if the mineral is close to the surface, or a shaft for an underground mine when the resources are further down. A mill is usually built for the rock to be crushed and sorted by large machines.

GETTING THE ROCK OUT OF THE GROUND

First the rock must be broken up, then it is brought out. To break it, holes are drilled into the rock and filled with explosives. The blasted rock is then dug out with big machines.

GETTING THE MINERAL OUT OF THE ROCK

There are different ways to get the ore out of the rock. The rock is first crushed into powder. Then the powder is either washed so that the heavier mineral sinks and is taken from the bottom, or if it is a lighter mineral, it is mixed with chemicals so that it will rise to the top where it is taken off. Some minerals, such as diamonds, are separated by spinning the concentrate.

KEEPING THE MINE RUNNING

A mine needs office workers to run the administration. These people hire workers, order supplies and manage the whole business. Supplies such as building materials, tools, equipment, food and many other items are usually bought from other companies. Other companies may be contracted to cook, clean, build, or move people and supplies to and from the mine. All of this means business opportunities and more jobs.

WATCHING THE ENVIRONMENT

Studies are done on animals, plants and water before a mine opens. The environment around the mine is watched and measured for changes while the mine is running. When the mine closes, the company must try to leave the site as close as possible to what it was like before the mine opened. This reclamation work is done by people trained in renewable resources and environmental management.

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WILL THERE BE JOBS IN MINING?

It looks like there will be more jobs coming up in mining. The high volume of mineral exploration in the 1980's and 1990's has identified many new potential mine sites. New mines are expected to be developed in the latter half of the 90's with great promise for new jobs. Mining looks like one of the best places for new jobs in the NWT.

WHAT JOBS WILL THERE BE IN MINING?

There are many different types of jobs associated with mining and they all have different requirements. It is important to remember that the more training and education you have, the higher the level of job you can get. The current trend in mining is towards multi-tasking, which means that employees are trained to do more than one specific job. Skills learned in mining jobs are transferable to other careers.

ENTRY LEVEL JOBS

These jobs require little or no previous experience. Some mines provide on-the-job training. You must be able to read and write, though some require at least a Grade 12 level of education.

JOB	DESCRIPTION
Labourer	loads, moves, cleans up, etc.
Janitor/Dryman	keeps the mine clean
Blast Helper	helps load explosives into drill holes, makes sure everything is safe before blasting
Driller's Assistant	helps operate/move the drill, handles drill core
Equipment Operator	drives dozers, graders, loaders, trucks, etc.
Geophysical Asst.	operates geophysical equipment, records data
Mechanic's Helper	helps clean, oil, test, and fix equipment
Electrician's Helper	helps run wires, check & fix electrical equipment
Surveyor's Helper	holds stakes & rods, carries equipment
Crusher Operator	runs the controls setting the amount of rock going into the crushers
Sampler	collects ore samples for testing
Grinding Operator	runs the equipment which does the rock crushing
Flotation Operator	runs the tanks which mix chemicals into crushed rock and water
Reagent Operator	works with a machine that mixes chemicals into tanks filled with powdered rock and water
Dewatering Operator	runs the filter that gets water out of crushed rock before shipping
Cook's Helper	helps prepare and serve food
Warehouse Person	works in warehouse, stocking inventory

SKILLED JOBS

These jobs require that you be able to read and have previous mining experience.

JOB	DESCRIPTION
Driller	drills holes into rock to get core samples for geologists to look at
Blast Hole Driller	drills holes into rock for blasting
Blaster	decides how many holes and how deep to drill, packs explosives into holes, makes sure everything is safe before blasting

APPRENTICESHIP TRADES

These jobs require that you be a journeyman or certified trades person.

JOB	DESCRIPTION
Carpenter	builds and repairs buildings
Cook	cooks meals for workers
Electrician	installs, fixes electrical equipment
Mechanic	fixes machinery
Machinist	makes, fixes equipment parts
Plumber	installs, fixes water pipes and fixtures
Steamfitter/Pipefitter	puts steam and water pipes together
Welder	welds metal together to make/fix equipment
Millwright	installs and repairs mill machinery

OFFICE WORKERS

For these jobs you must have at least a Grade 12 education and have some training or experience.

JOB	DESCRIPTION
Mine Clerk	keeps mine records, time sheets, etc.
Accounts Clerk	works in payroll and costing
Secretary	does word processing, records mail, files, and makes appointments

TECHNICAL JOBS

These jobs need a technical college diploma. Generally, these are one or two year programs.

JOB	DESCRIPTION
Mining Technician	helps mining engineer with underground surveys, plans where to mine, figures out how much mineral is left
Environmental Technician	makes sure environmental rules are followed
Engineering Technician	makes drawings of machines, buildings, systems, helps keep them working

SEMI-PROFESSIONAL

These jobs require a college diploma. Technology programs are generally two to four years in length.

JOB	DESCRIPTION
Mill Maintenance Foreman	makes sure mill equipment is maintained in good working order
Electrical Foreman	supervises electrical workers, trains them
Mine Foreman	supervises mine workers, makes daily work plans, trains workers
Mill Foreman	supervises mill workers, makes daily work plans, trains workers
Safety Officer	ensures healthy working conditions, sets safety rules
Warehouse Supervisor	keeps warehouse in order, keeps records of materials stocked

PROFESSIONAL

These jobs require you have a university degree.

JOB	DESCRIPTION
Geologist	explores for ore bodies, advises whether to mine and where ore is to be found in mine
Mechanical Engineer	designs new machinery
Mining Engineer	decides on best way to get ore out of ground, helps to design whole mining operation
Accountant	keeps financial records
Nurse	tends to injuries, ensures safe, healthy work environment
Manager of Training	plans, teaches training courses
Human Resources Manager	recruits, hires, plans what workers are needed, pay levels and training, and hires workers
Materials Manager	decides what supplies are needed
General Manager	makes sure everything in the whole business is running as best it can

JOBS SERVING THE MINING INDUSTRY

There are many other jobs that are associated with the mining industry. A lot of companies sub-contract out different parts of the mining process. You can create your own opportunities by providing goods and services to the industry. Some examples of jobs related to mining are:

Prospecting
Maintenance
Camp Construction
Expediting
Staking Claims
Security
Line cutting
Trucking
Geophysical Surveying
Sampling
Supplying Food
Trenching
Camp Management
Cooking
Diamond Drilling
Remote Communications
Airplane Passenger and Freight Handling
Road and Airport Building and Maintenance
Supplying Construction Materials
Equipment Rental
Making Special Clothing or Equipment

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WORKING CONDITIONS

Most jobs are in buildings, on enclosed equipment or underground so the weather doesn't make a big difference. Most workers have jobs around large equipment which can be noisy. The mines in communities such as Yellowknife hire miners who work regular eight hour shifts year round except for holidays. Workers in the fly in fly out mines with camps work twelve hour shifts seven days a week and usually stay in camp two weeks then are flown out for two weeks off. Some mines have different lengths of time to stay in camp. Most jobs are year round permanent jobs. All wages are very competitive. There are operating mines in the Kitikmeot region, Baffin region, and North Slave region.

Most mineral exploration field work is done between May and October. The number of people in a camp varies from as little as 2 in a prospecting camp to over 100 in an advanced exploration project. Diamond drilling and bulk sampling are usually done in winter. Workers live in tents and work out on the land. People who like working outdoors tend to be found in the prospecting and exploration side of the mining industry.

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WHERE TO GET TRAINING

PRE-EMPLOYMENT TRAINING PROGRAMS

Aurora College and Nunavut Arctic College run this course in various communities and at the Yellowknife Campus. It teaches you about the whole mining industry, safety for working in mines, and mining terms you need to know. It also gives you two weeks of working at a mine site on different jobs. This is a good introduction to any job in mining but some of the jobs need other training as well.

PROSPECTOR TRAINING

This is a course that community organizations could help set up and hire Aurora College or Nunavut Arctic College to run in their community. It teaches basic exploration, such as prospecting, staking, and surveying.

OTHER COURSES

Aurora College and Nunavut Arctic College offer many other courses that could be useful in getting a job in the mining area. Some of these courses are: Heavy Equipment Operator, Pre-employment Carpentry, Pre-employment Mechanics, Management Studies, Office Administration, Environmental and Natural Resources Technology, Community Land Administration, Cross-Cultural Awareness, Driver Training, Hospitality and Cooking, Welding, Electrical, Plumbing, and Small Business Management.

SOUTHERN COLLEGES

Other mining courses that could be taken at colleges in the south are: Mining Technologist, Instrumentation Engineering Technician, Metallurgical Engineering, and Surveyor. Check with your regional Career Centre for college information.

UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS

For professional mining jobs, a university education is required. There are many Canadian universities that offer courses. These would be mostly in Geology, Geophysics and Mining Engineering programs, although Chemistry, Geography, and Biology are related to the mining industry. Academic programs for professions common to most large businesses such as Human Resources, Business Management, and Accounting could also lead to mine employment. It is best to check out the university calendars at regional Career Centres.

APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING

Apprenticeship is usually a four year training program where you take short courses and get paid to participate in on the job training. When you are finished, you become certified for the job you are doing. With certification, you make more money, are able to work on your own, can train others, and can find jobs more easily. To start an apprenticeship you must find an employer who will take you on. There are many jobs in mining that you could do an apprenticeship for if you have enough education.

The following is a list of jobs in mining for which you could take apprenticeship training if you have the education needed:

Carpenter	grade 10
Cook	grade 10
Electrician	grade 12 (with Math 30)
Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic	grade 10
Heavy Duty Equipment Operator	grade 8
Industrial Instrument Mechanic	grade 12 (with Math 30)
Industrial Mechanic (Millwright)	grade 10
Machinist	grade 10
Plumber	grade 10
Steamfitter/Pipefitter	grade 10
Welder	grade 10

For help in getting a start as an apprentice please read up on Apprenticeship Opportunities or consult you regional Career Centre.

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HOW TO APPLY FOR A MINE JOB

Send your resume and a cover letter to all of the mines where you would like to work, or to a company that provides services to the mining industry, such as the mine exploration companies. Make sure you indicate which job or jobs you are interested in and why you think you are qualified for those jobs. If you want help in applying for a job, ask your regional Career Centre.

For an updated list of operating mines in the NWT, contact the NWT Chamber of Mines at:

Box 2818
Yellowknife, NT
X1A 2R1
(403) 873-5281
(403) 920-2145 FAX

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CAREER PLANNING

To be successful in life, it is important to plan your career. Your "career" is the total of all your life experiences. Career planning is an ongoing process from youth through adulthood where you look at what are the best decisions for you based on who you are, what training and education you want, what the labour market trends are, and what opportunities are available. By finding the best fit between your interests, skills and values, and the needs of the labour market, you will have more control over your life, and you will experience more success.

For more information or assistance with career planning and decision making, contact your local Career Centre or Adult Educator.

Remember your future depends on your efforts.