TNDC Bestowed AME Award of Excellence for Groundbreaking Tahltan HEO Training Program

January 23, 2025

Tahltan Nation Development Corporation (TNDC) is delighted to announce it has been bestowed the 2024 AME Robert R. Hedley Award for Excellence in Social and Environmental Responsibility for its holistic approach to developing a three-year Heavy Equipment Operator program.

The Association for Mineral Exploration (AME), the lead association for the mineral exploration and development industry based in British Columbia, presents awards to recognize the remarkable achievements and contributions of individuals and teams in the mineral resource, investment, and mineral exploration industry. The award was presented last night at the AME Awards Gala: Celebration of Excellence at the AME Roundup conference.

Indigenous-owned TNDC launched the Tahltan Heavy Equipment Operator (HEO) Program in early 2023 as a three-year pilot, with a goal to build community capacity and employability using the premise of ‘Tahltans teaching Tahltans’. To increase the number of operators in the industry and in the Nation, the program provides training and on-the-job work experience in Tahltan Territory, enabling residents to have careers close to home for generations to come. A Class 5 driver’s licence is required for most industry positions. This was a barrier to employability in the Tahltan community until TNDC partnered with a local driving school as part of this new program, which has since expanded to cover commercial licenses up to Class 1 through new funding from the BC Government and additional industry partners.

The groundbreaking and now award winning Tahltan HEO Training Program is a multi-faceted program designed to build capacity in Tahltan communities across several areas: Drivers’ Licenses and driving for employment; Developing new heavy equipment operators; Continuing to grow current heavy equipment operators into mentors, trainers and instructors. It helps to address skill shortages within our region while also providing on-the-job practical work experience to set participants up for success.

The Tahltan HEO Training Program has been developed with several partners and funding partners: the Provincial Government, TD Bank, CAT Finning, Newmont, Arrow Transportation, Bandstra Transportation, Centre for Training Excellence in Mining – BC (CTEM), Iskut Band, Mining Industry HR Council (MiHR), Procon Mining & Tunnelling, Tahltan Band, Tahltan Central Government and Thompson Rivers University (TRU). Together, a robust program was built that trains local people using local resources to a national standard in mining and construction.

“TNDC is deeply honoured for this recognition by the mineral exploration and mining sector. We are incredibly grateful to our many partners who share TNDC’s vision for this important and innovative training program. Thanks to their support and contributions, TNDC is building capacity in Tahltan communities and developing the next generation of Tahltan operators to serve the resource development sector in world-renowned British Columbia’s Golden Triangle. This program is helping TNDC advance our commitment to Building Trust, Building Futures with the Tahltan Nation, our clients, industry and government.” Todd den Engelsen, TNDC CEO.

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ABOUT THE TAHLTAN HEO TRAINING PROGRAM

The Tahltan HEO program is a multi-faceted program designed to build capacity in Tahltan communities across several areas: Drivers’ Licenses and driving for employment; Developing new heavy equipment operators; Continuing to grow current heavy equipment operators into mentors, trainers and instructors. This groundbreaking program has been developed in partnership with industry, industry training authorities and funding partners, with most training occurring in Tahltan Territory. It helps to address skill shortages within our region while also providing on-the-job practical work experience to set participants up for success. www.tahltanheo.com

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