Agnico Eagle Partners with Jonah Amitnaaq Secondary School for the Eighth Edition of Trades Awareness, Skills and Knowledge (TASK) Week

For the 8th year, Agnico Eagle partnered with Jonah Amitnaaq Secondary School (JASS) to support the annual Trades Awareness, Skills and Knowledge (TASK) week in Baker Lake.

From May 15 to May 19, 75 students from grades 10 to 12 had the opportunity to experience hands-on learning in a trade of their choice. This year’s trades included welding, mechanics, electrical, carpentry, culinary arts, sewing, and hairdressing.

The goal of TASK week is to provide students with the opportunity to consider what they want to do after graduation and empower them with the tools and resources to help achieve their goals. The trades they practice throughout TASK week offer a glimpse of the range of options and personal freedom they might not otherwise have considered.

As a leader in the mining industry, Agnico Eagle offers many job opportunities to skilled tradespeople ranging from millwrights, welders, plumbers, carpenters, to cooks and electricians. In our goal to be a neighbour of choice, Agnico Eagle is also committed to providing opportunities to communities surrounding its operations. TASK week offers students the opportunity to discover their passion. Whether this passion motivates them to pursue a trade and work at one of our Nunavut operations, or leads them elsewhere, we ultimately hope it will empower them to build their own legacies within their community.

David Applebaum, a teacher at JASS, spoke highly of the impact TASK week has on students.

“Students who normally wander into school were showing up early that week. Students who normally struggle to stay awake in class were focused and eager to learn. The students didn’t want the day to end at the end of each day.”

Not only was the learning experience immersive and engaging, it also provided students with insight into what their future could look like. “Students not only learned about the particular job they were engaged in, but they also learned about life at the mine and about the importance of work ethic to get a job there. I saw students who are normally quiet and reserved, asking questions and trying new things,” David added.

As a Baker Lake resident, Trent Tootoo, a mechanic at Agnico Eagle’s Meadowbank Complex was one of the TASK week instructors and an example of what the students could aspire to. Like the other instructors from Agnico Eagle, he felt his experience in TASK Week was very positive.

“I enjoyed my interactions with the students who were attentive and engaged the whole week. It was a pleasure to have spent the week helping them learn some mechanics and other lifelong lessons,” said Trent Tootoo.

Agnico Eagle led four of the seven trades offered this year: welding, mechanics, electrical, and culinary arts.

Mechanics was taught by Devon Killulark and Trent Tootoo, instructors from Agnico Eagle in collaboration with Mike Nukapiak from Peter’s Expediting Ltd., who are all Baker Lake residents.

Other instructors from Agnico Eagle included Michael Noble and Jordan Ronald, who taught welding, and Jean-Paul Lutwick, who taught electrical work.

Daniel Tapatai, a grade 11 student who signed up for welding, enjoyed the week he spent learning a new set of skills. “Having this [week] for students is very important for the future,” he said.

For the eighth year, Patricio Iglesias, who is a cook at Meadowbank Complex taught culinary arts. Under his instruction, students learned and applied various cooking techniques and cooked and baked food that they were able to take home. At the end of the week, the culinary arts students helped prepare and serve the closing banquet meal for nearly 150 people in attendance.

Congratulations to the students who were recognized at the closing banquet with a distinction award in their selected trade:

  • Amber Tookanachiak – Welding
  • Sydney Kataluk – Sewing
  • Taalluk Niuqtuq – Mechanics
  • Niego Killulark – Hairdressing
  • Jesse James Perkison – Electrical
  • Trixie Qarliaqsaq – Carpentry
  • Kassidy Klinger – Culinary Arts

And a special mention to Kimberly Quinangnaq, a JASS student, whose TASK Week logo design was the winning submission and was featured on this year’s t-shirts.

“It is impossible for students to remember everything they do all year, and some of their classes might not be the most exciting, but I guarantee that the students will all remember what they learned during Task Week,” said David Applebaum.

Agnico Eagle is committed to supporting the communities in which we operate, and we are proud to sponsor educational initiative dedicated to youth, which we hope will inspire our future leaders.

Thank you to everyone who contributed towards making this week a success!

Thank you to all instructors for taking the time to share your trades, and to the school staff at JASS for your dedication and for sharing your space and class for this event. Thank you to two local businesses, Peter’s Expediting Ltd. and Arctic Fuel, for supporting this event through donations of time and materials, to the Hamlet who shared the airport garage for this event, and to the Agnico Eagle staff who helped coordinate the week.

And lastly, we want to thank the students of JASS, who make this week one we look forward to every year.