Employment and Training

Kaska and Selwyn Chihong will form an Employment, Training, and Education Committee (ETEC). This committee will work to oversee the commitments in the SEPA related to employment, training and education. The ETEC will:

• Develop training plans and funding proposals for Kaska interested in employment on the Project.
• Jointly pursue funding for training programs from Canada and Yukon.
• Design strategies to help have Kaska citizens hired, kept in their jobs and promoted to better jobs.

Employment & Training

• Kaska and Selwyn Chihong share the objective of ensuring Kaska citizens have every opportunity to become employed on the Project.Kaska will have an important role in ensuring Selwyn Chihong has the information it requires to design and implement training programs and appropriate workplace conditions.
• Selwyn Chihong agrees to work cooperatively with governments and others to provide meaningful and useful training opportunities for Kaska citizens, including opportunities for Kaska youth.
• Selwyn Chihong will provide advance notice to Kaska members of any job opportunities at the Project.
• Selwyn Chihong agrees to recognize the skills and abilities an individual has acquired through life learning and to value this in considering job knowledge and skills requirements. This is important to Kaska members who may not have had opportunities to get tickets, certificates or diplomas but who may still have the skills and experience needed for a job.
• Selwyn Chihong agrees to provide preference to Kaska citizens over other applicants where the Kaska citizen can meet the job requirements or can be trained to do the job.
• Selwyn Chihong will ensure all Kaska who are employed on the Project have the required basic safety and mining training and will provide, as appropriate, on-the-job training (learning by doing) opportunities.

Workplace Environment

• Gender equality on the job is a shared objective of Kaska and Selwyn Chihong. Strategies to promote this concept within the workforce will be jointly developed by Kaska and Selwyn Chihong.
• Selwyn Chihong and Kaska agree the workplace should be safe, respectful of Kaska language and culture, and free from harassment and discrimination. Selwyn Chihong has agreed to work toward this objective.
• There will a prohibition in the possession and use of drugs or alcohol in camp or on the job site, except for prescription drugs.
• Kaska employees may apply for leave without pay to take part in traditional activities (hunting, for example) as long as Selwyn Chihong is able to effectively replace that worker during that time.
• All workers will be provided cultural sensitivity training.
• Traditional foods will be on the menu at least once per week when possible.
• Selwyn Chihong will be accountable and will produce an annual report on Kaska employment and make it available to Kaska so that people can see how the company is performing.

Training and Counselling Corporation

Selwyn Chihong will provide funding to establish the “Training and Counseling Corporation” (TCC).

• The TCC and Selwyn Chihong will work together to seek funding and oversee delivery of pre-employment readiness programs, counseling services, apprenticeships, and preparation of individual learning plans.
• The TCC will develop a human resource inventory of Kaska citizens interested in work on the project which will include information about individuals’ skills and experience.