August Newsletter
Women in Mining-Jennifer’s Journey to Becoming an Underground Production Miner
Jennifer knew exactly what she wanted when she set her sights on a career in mining, and she wasn’t afraid to work for it. When we spoke with her, she was beaming with excitement as she announced she had landed her dream job. On July 1st, she would start as an underground production miner, operating a 45-ton wiggle rock truck at Musselwhite Mine. It’s an incredible accomplishment and one that took a lot of training, determination, and support to achieve.
Jennifer’s journey began when she visited YES and met with Employment Coordinator Brenda Richtig. Brenda recognized Jennifer’s determination immediately. Jennifer’s first goal was to apply for government-funded Common Core training as a surface miner. She had been unemployed for an extended period but knew this training would open doors and give her control over her future.
She applied for the training through Norcat, which took place in Quetico over six weeks. Brenda helped her secure the work boots and coveralls she needed. Jennifer just made the deadline, applying on the last day and being accepted. During her training, she learned to drive a surface haul truck and gained valuable experience in surface production mining.
Jennifer temporarily took on a contract as a surface production miner, driving a 250-ton rock truck. But her true goal was clear: she wanted to work underground, so after a couple of weeks, she shifted her focus to getting the additional training she needed. She stayed in close contact with Brenda, who knew exactly what Jennifer’s next step would be. When Jennifer learned about an upcoming Underground Hard Rock Miner training course at Norcat’s head office in Sudbury, she put herself on the waitlist right away. Even though she knew she would have to fund the training herself, it was the final step she needed to qualify for her dream job and she was determined to follow through.
When she got the call on a Tuesday that she’d been accepted, she didn’t waste a moment. The next day, Jennifer was at the YES computers from 9 AM to 4 PM daily, completing the required online coursework from Wednesday through Friday. She passed with flying colours and left for Sudbury that Saturday for five more weeks of intensive training.
With her qualifications complete, Jennifer started applying for underground mining positions and tapping into her network. She had friends working at Musselwhite Mine, and the incentive bonus offered to staff for successful referrals was extra motivation for them to advocate for her. Even with that support, the process was long and competitive. In the meantime, Jennifer attended job fairs, faced multiple rejections, and kept her goal in sight.
Finally, in May, she was invited to a Zoom interview with Musselwhite. Brenda helped her prepare, and Jennifer also gained valuable insights from her contacts at the mine. When the job offer came through, Brenda was one of the first calls she made.
After final testing, Jennifer was eager to get to work. She loves her new schedule, flying in and out of Thunder Bay to the mine in Pickle Lake every two weeks, and is proud to be exactly where she wants to be: operating a haul truck underground.
After so many challenges, rejections, and hard-won training milestones, Jennifer has reached the pinnacle of her career so far. We congratulate her on her remarkable persistence and success, and we’re proud to have supported her every step of the way.
Personal assistance to pursue your career goals is free through Employment Ontario programs. Request an appointment online, call or visit to get started.
We are continuing our support to clients pursuing post-secondary education by announcing this year’s YES Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship awards $500 to a registered client who will be attending post-secondary education in September 2025 (diploma, degree or certificate program). Any client who has registered with YES Employment Services within the last year (September 2024 – September 2025) is eligible to apply. The application deadline is Monday September 8th, 2025. Please contact our office to receive an application and submit your application via e-mail to resource@yesjobsnow.com.
We are so grateful for all of the local businesses who work with us to provide opportunities to our clients. It is rewarding when they recognize the value of the programs we deliver. We received this testimonial from Tom Warden, Owner/Partner at Tommy’s Barbershop. To read the entire letter, please visit the Employers page of our website here.
Thank you so much to the Youth & Family Support Program for inviting us to join in the Superior Sizzle BBQ series this summer. This photo shows our Employer Relations Coordinators Derland and Matthew who attended the first BBQ on Wednesday July 16th at the Academy Parkette. There are six community barbeques in total this summer and we look forward to meeting directly with local families where they live to share information and assistance about Employment Ontario programs.