NETMIZAAGGAMIG FIRST NATION — A "Career EXPO" hosted by Contact North and Ontario Works in Netmizaaggamig First Nation was held late last week and had something for everyone.
Located in their local Community Centre, it facilitated the potential new career paths and plenty of training opportunities to reach your future goals and aspirations.
On July 22, many job seekers and students attended this event that clearly was well organized and community based. Several dignitaries and community leaders were on hand to offer their support and enthusiasm including Michael Mantha who is the NDP MPP for Algoma/Manitoulin Riding, Marg McMillan one of the organizers Contact North, Sandy Killingbeck from Ontario Employment Works, and NEW’s Greg Valance, White Lake Limited Partnership Annette Currie, and Silver Lake mine rep, Emma Gibson.
Lynn Cregheur, CFNO radio’s account executive, attended this event and shared how impressed she was with the quality of people who were present.
“For myself, I was impressed on the quality of people and businesses that were there. They had different mining businesses and NEW was there as well and some Indigenous companies looking to train future employees in getting the perfect position,” she said.
The event was well attended with a lot of people taking part and visiting the exhibits, gathering potential career information and filling out forms at various booths.
Two key organizers for this important event, were Margaret McMillan from Contact North and Sandy Killingbeck, from Ontario Employment Works, who offered their insights into this career expo.
During the planning processes of organizing this event, both McMillan and Killingbeck contacted various potential participants from key groups including:
- Education
- Mining
- Construction
- White Lake partners
- Silver Lake Resources
- AET-Education Training
Nokiiwin, a key training organization was also an exhibitor. They offer educational training and upgrading for students to help better prepare them to enter into the workforce.
According to Killingbeck, the turn out and support was amazing. She shared that she was only in this new role with Ontario Works, since last September. “I was blown away by the attendance and networking. The community wants me to organize this twice a year because of such an amazing turn out,” stated Killingbeck.
McMillan, from Contact North described how typically students and residents are able to get jobs that are contract and seldom last a full year. This in her view does not give these employees a sustainable income or job. “It was amazing to have presenters that can show these students and workers that they can get jobs that offer training and opportunities for long-term employment,” said McMillan.
McMillan also shared that a key exhibitor, was Northern Employment Workers, represented by Greg Valance, who normally visits the community each week, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic has not been able to do this. However, Valance was at this expo and demonstrated how this organization offers free courses for potential employment such as WHMIS.
She spoke about how this service is crucial to students and residents. “It offers training and courses to better help students be better positioned for employment,” stated McMillan.
The event was so successful that both key organizers plan on holding the event in their school gymnasium because it is a larger facility and will accommodate more businesses, which is their goal for next year.
Killingbeck explained, “We want to have more businesses and mining companies there next year to help generate more jobs for community members.”
With such a passion for helping their community members have access to organizations, community groups and potential employers, McMillan and Killingbeck are anxious to get started on planning this event for next year.
