Agnico Eagle held our first-ever Career Day in Baker Lake on November 9 and 10. There were two parts to this event: on November 9, students in grades 10, 11 and 12 at Jonah Amitnaaq Secondary School (JASS) participated in an educational and career awareness session focused on the mining industry, and at night, community members were invited to participate in activities prepared by Agnico Eagle and Mining Matters. Students in grades 4 and 5 from Rachel Arngnammaktiq Elementary School also had the chance to participate in the activities presented by our team as well as the team from Mining Matters.

Our Sanajiksanut team was present to answer questions about the new recruitment process and advertise current positions available at our mine sites. If you want to learn more about Sanajiksanut, our new tailor-made recruitment process, read our previous blog here.

Representatives from Agnico Eagle’s Meadowbank Complex, including people from the Energy and Infrastructures, Environment, Maintenance, Engineering, Training and Community Relations teams, were also in attendance and shared information about the mining industry and careers in mining.

In addition, a team from Mining Matters provided interesting information about rocks, minerals, mining, and the diverse array of career opportunities within the mining industry. The team also held workshops and table sessions where youth were able to learn in an interactive way.

“Mining Matters was so pleased to contribute mineral and mining career educational activities to the Baker Lake Career Day Program. It was a great experience to share with the youth of the community our enthusiasm for the minerals industry and the wide range of careers that it offers,” said Lesley Hymers (M.Sc.), Manager, Education and Outreach Programs at Mining Matters.

Hear more about this event directly from Wenda Forsey, Career Counsellor at Jonah Amitnnaq Secondary School:

On Wednesday, November 9, 2022, the Grades 10-12 students from Jonah Amitnaaq Secondary School (JASS) engaged with the Agnico Eagle Mining Company for a Career Awareness event. The JASS students were thrilled to be participating with [Agnico Eagle] after two years of basically non-contact due to limitations imposed by the COVID pandemic.

As usual, the [Agnico Eagle] staff were welcoming, accommodating, and encouraging. The introductory video highlighted several mining workers and former graduates from Baker Lake who were successfully engaged in employment opportunities at the mine. It was inspiring to see family members and former graduates at their worksites. The message that “every job at the mine is an important one”, was loud and clear. The emphasis on “opportunities for further career development” and “moving forward to better yourself” was motivating and refreshing.

During the event, students eagerly participated in five interactive stations focusing on mining matters, environmental awareness, and career choices. This was an effective and practical way to connect “school learning” to the world of employment and career choices.

Overall, the event went very well with student engagement at 100%!  Thank you so much for this Career Awareness event and we certainly look forward connecting again real soon.

As an under-represented field that can often be misunderstood, events like these can help make the industry more approachable and realistic to youth who may not otherwise have considered a career in mining. We were thrilled to witness firsthand the enthusiasm of the students at the prospect of a career in mining.

Thank you to all students, community members, school staff and our partners at Mining Matters for making this event such a success!