Students in the underground miner training program had realistic hands-on training in the AJ mine. Eleven students graduated from the program last Friday, and four of them began work Monday.
Story last updated at 6/23/2010 - 6:22 pm
JUNEAU - There were no caps and gowns at one graduation ceremony last Friday, and only two attendees wore ties. Instead of mortarboards, graduates were encouraged to toss their baseball caps in the air.
Eleven men from five Southeast towns were celebrating the completion of an entry-level underground miner training program offered this spring through the state Department of Labor & Workforce Development and the University of Alaska's Mining and Petroleum Training Service.
The goal of the intensive five-week class was to prepare local workers for jobs at the two working mines near Juneau, the Hecla Greens Creek Mine and Coeur Alaska's Kensington Gold Mine. The two mining companies interviewed applicants for the programs initially and have already begun hiring graduates from the programs - four of them started work at Greens Creek on Monday.
Mining is a change of pace for most of the program's participants, who had been working in a variety of other industries, including construction, timber, fishing, and even restaurant management.
Kelly Ferguson, who came to the program after serving in the U.S. Army, said during the graduation ceremony that he was looking for a "new direction," and many of his classmates echoed that phrase.
All of them are looking for year-round, full-time employment, said Mary Rodman-Lopez, Statewide Apprenticeship Program Coordinator for the Department of Labor. The average salary in the Alaskan mining industry is $83,000, according to the Department of Labor.
"The opportunities are there for individuals, if they are interested in going into the mining industry," Rodman-Lopez said
Graduates came from all over Southeast for the class, representing Juneau, Sitka, Gustavus, Klawock, and Ketchikan. The graduates are Dwight Payton of Sitka; Arthur Scott of Gustavus; William Dubuque of Klawock; Ha Nguyen and Michael DeWitt of Ketchikan; and Jason Hall, Kelly Ferguson, Jr., Paul Rowe, Donald Malburg, Jason Markert and David Beardslee of Juneau.
This is the second time the class has been offered this year. Fifteen people graduated from the program in November, and over 80 percent of them have since found jobs in the mining industry, according to Rodman-Lopez.
The state "has a vested interest in making sure our citizens have good jobs," Rodman-Lopez said.
Hiring locally is in the best interest of the mining companies as well, she said. "The biggest advantage (for the mining companies) is that they have a workforce who will stay with them because they're used to the area. People who come up from elsewhere sometimes don't last more than a couple years."
Workers who come from rural areas often have an easier time adjusting to the mine camp lifestyle than those who come from urban areas, she added.
At Friday's ceremony, the 11 graduates gathered in a classroom at the University of Alaska Southeast Technical Center to celebrate. Representatives from state and local government, the university and the mining companies packed the walls of the classroom, and took turns offering words of congratulations, encouragement and thanks to the graduates.
"Mining is Juneau's history," Sen. Dennis Egan told the group. "We wouldn't be here without it. We wouldn't be a capital, we wouldn't be anything, if it weren't for hard-rock mining in the Juneau area."
The mining company representatives acknowledged the hard work that students put into the training program.
"I know some of you are working nights and long days just to support your family while you go through this," said Meg Day, human resources manager for Coeur Alaska.
Greens Creek Human Resources pointed to graduate Jason Hall's young daughter, who was wriggling in her mother's arms. "That is the why," he said. "That is why we are all in this class."
This was the first class that was able to do all of their hands-on training at the AJ mine, providing a realistic setting for learning scaling, drilling and bulking.
"They've done everything they would do at an actual mine during the training," Rodman-Lopez said.
Mine training coordinator Sam Reeves praised the class for making safety a priority.
"Nobody got hurt. That in itself makes this a success," he said.
Jim Smith, an experienced miner who helped with some of training, said he's seen an improvement in safety standards since he began working in mines in 1968.
He thinks the mining education program is valuable for both the local companies - "these companies are so decided to local hire" - and for participants.
"This gets your foot in the door," he said, explaining that as with many industries, personal connections help a lot in securing a job as a miner.
Smith's soft-spoken enthusiasm for the industry seems to run in his family: his grandfather and father were miners, as are his brother and sons.
"It's just a way of life," he said. "It's all I've ever done. I like it all. There aren't better people in the world than miners."
As the graduation ceremony wrapped up, the group gathered together for a photo.
"Think about the first paycheck!" someone yelled.
That did the trick: wide grins all around.
Katie Spielberger may be reached at katie.spielberger@capweek.com.
