Greens Creek and Couer Alaska Offer Jobs to UAS Mining Certificate Holders

The five-week course included environmental and safety training, history of local mining, classroom instruction on the extraction and production process in an underground mine and on-site training in procedures such as installing pipes and jack leg drilling at the Maggie Kathleen entrance to the old Alaska Juneau Mine. How to be good employee, team work, identification of proper supplies, some heavy equipment operation, how to identify and mitigate loose ground conditions and light signals used for communication underground were also addressed.

Juneau, AK

Date of Press Release: April 22, 2009

Greens Creek and Couer Alaska are now in the process of hiring from a pool of fifteen people who recently received safety and underground mining training through a partnership between the University of Alaska Southeast, Mine and Petroleum Training Services (MAPTS), the Alaska Department of Labor, and the mining industry.

The  five week course included environmental and safety training, history of local mining, classroom instruction on the extraction and production process in an underground mine and on-site training in procedures such as installing pipes and jack leg drilling at the Maggie Kathleen entrance to the old Alaska Juneau Mine.  How to be good employee, team work, identification of proper supplies, some heavy equipment operation, how to identify and mitigate loose ground conditions and light signals used for communication underground were also addressed.

Juneau Senator Dennis Egan, representatives from UAS, the Juneau Job Center, Greens Creek, Coeur Alaska and the Alaska Department of Labor including deputy commissioner David Stone were present at a completion ceremony for the newly qualified entry level underground miners on Friday, Nov.13 at the UAS School of Career Education.

The class of New Miners included sisters Latanya Friday and Ruth Gentry of Kake. They got experience running back fill machines and working the bull gang.  “I really thought I’d be scared,” said Ruth, who is also the mother of a five-year old. “But I really liked it.” The sisters enrolled in the program because they are seeking more steady employment with benefits. Both have been offered positions at the Kensington Mine.

Coeur Alaska Human Resources Manager Meg Day said the start dates of new hires for the Kensington Mine will be staggered from December 2009 through September 2010.