On his visit though Northern Ontario, provincial Labour Minister Monte McNaughton made a stop at NORCAT in Sudbury to announce $1 million in funding to train 645 people for jobs in the construction, forestry, and mining industries. 

The funding will assist with training and development in two specific ways. 

NORCAT will receive $582,000 to train 20 people at its Thunder Bay location to become heavy equipment operators in the forestry sector. Trainees will receive free in-class and hands-on training over a period of five to six weeks at NORCAT’s forest and mining operations in Thunder Bay, with free lodging and transportation to and from their training site.

Trainees can expect to learn the operating fundamentals of a rock truck, or the bulldozer and the front end loader, among other mechanical equipment, while also gaining important leadership and soft skill training, said Don Duval, CEO, NORCAT.

It’s also a program that will be prioritizing applicants from remote First Nations and Indigenous communities. Priorities that NORCAT have experience with, said Duval.

He said that the Thunder Bay office of NORCAT has a “deliberate focus strategy,” to go to the remote communities to create awareness of opportunities. 

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