While the wild days of the gold rush may be over, future miners are discovering there is still prosperity to be found in the WEST.

Supported by more than $1.6 million from the Province, this year the Workforce Exploration Skills Training (WEST) program will give 58 participants the skills and training they need to fill the jobs that mining companies are looking to fill around B.C.

Over seven weeks, these participants will be on the ground at a mining training camp located outside Smithers, learning and developing their skills and becoming job-ready. This camp-based training program has seen 80 per cent of graduates successfully - and quickly - move on to jobs in the province's mining sector so they can continue to support their families and build B.C.'s communities. About three-quarters of the participants in these mining programs are Aboriginal.

Delivered by Northwest Community College (NWCC), WEST offers hands-on and classroom instruction of the newest technologies used by industry, including a First Nations cultural component. Training includes drill core technician and cultural resource assessment, as well as prospector basic training, mining exploration field assistant, and industry-related safety certification. Opportunities are also available for some of these mining students to gain additional work experience and enhance their skills in a number of camp positions, such as mining camp services, cooking and administration.

Quotes:

Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Economic Development Donna Barnett -

"WEST is a great bridge between the skills and rewarding careers British Columbians want to have, and our investment of $1.6 million will help meet the current and future needs for a well-trained, well-educated workforce within B.C.'s growing mining sector."

Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Mary Polak -

"NWCC's commitment to working with First Nations and creating sustainable economic development in the North is clearly working. Programs like WEST are helping local First Nations people, their families and their communities create a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with B.C.'s mining industry."

UTM Exploration Services COO Anastasia Ledwon, P.Geo -

"Be it field work or core shack employment, NWCC's school of exploration and mining has provided us with some excellent employees over the years. NWCC has trained students from all over northern B.C., which makes it especially easy for us to hire where we work, assisting us in meeting our community obligations."

Northwest Community College president and CEO Dr. Denise Henning -

"The hands-on learning and cultural context offered through the WEST program is a great way to meet the needs of both Aboriginal students and industry, giving participants more career choices and building on the success we've already seen through earlier versions of the program. Graduates of our mining programs are in very high demand, and industry often asks us when the next group will be ready to hire."

Quick Facts:

* Mining jobs are among the highest paid jobs in the resource sector, averaging over $110,000, including benefits.

* Approximately one-third of all participants in NWCC's camp-based mining programs are female.

* In 2010, more than 28,400 people were employed in the mineral exploration and mining economy.

* According to B.C.'s Employment Outlook for Industry Groups 2007-2017, mining is one of the fastest growing employment sectors, with more than 7,100 job openings expected by 2017.

* 2010 estimates show mining in B.C. is a $7-billion industry, with more than 50 thriving industrial minerals mines and over 650 aggregate and industrial mineral pits and quarries.

* WEST evolved from two highly successful and well-respected programs within the mining industry - the Reclamation and Prospecting (RAP) and Environmental Monitor Assistant (EMAP) programs

Background:

Under the Labour Market Agreement, the Government of Canada is providing the Province with approximately $66 million annually until 2013-14. Through a variety of programs, these funds increase access to training for unemployed individuals who are not currently Employment Insurance clients, including those who are under-represented in the labour market. Funding also supports training for employed individuals who are low-skilled and require essential skills, or who require recognized credentials to reach their full potential in the current marketplace.

Learn More:

* View camp life at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bp-vefkB7A

* For examples of skills training offered at NWCC's school of exploration and mining, see examples of the skills training at: http://sem.nwcc.bc.ca/slideshow/SEM_Gallery.cfm

* Skills for Growth is British Columbia's labour market strategy, helping to ensure B.C. has the right people with the right skills to fill the over one million jobs that will be available by 2019. It can be viewed at: http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/skills_for_growth/

* For an online list of all labour market programs and services open to British Columbians, visit: www.workbc.ca

Contact: Marisa Adair

Communications Director

Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation

250 920-8500

Connect with the Province of B.C. at: www.gov.bc.ca/connect