A Diamond in the Rough
Purpose/objective of WLP

The Ekati Diamond Mine™ was opened in 1998 and employs 1000 people of which about 650 are BHP Billiton Diamonds Inc. (BHP Billiton) employees. BHP Billiton has committed to building a sustainable Aboriginal and Northern workforce. It has also committed to a rigorous environmental policy that promises to minimize the effect of mining on the BHP Billiton claim block and in the Lac de Gras region. The company further made commitments to the North by signing a Socio-Economic Agreement with the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT). In these, we undertook to provide opportunities for Northern residents and Northern aboriginals in the areas of employment, training, and business. For example, we set hiring targets: 31% Northern Aboriginal residents and a combined total of 62% for all Northern residents. BHP Billiton continues to surpass these targets.

These targets, however, are not without their challenges. Almost 30% of these employees have less than a grade-nine education. Such educational levels contribute to a high unemployment rate among Aboriginal job seekers. And because BHP Billiton has chosen not to screen for education in filling its entry-level positions, low literacy is prevalent in the workforce. Therefore, the Company’s signed commitments to hire from the North, its remote communities, and the relatively small pool of skilled workers mean that we will continue to hire employees with low-level literacy.

Number of years the program has been in existence and growth since inception

The research phase began in 1999 with investigation and learning about implementing a workplace literacy program. Early work included developing essential skills profiles for our four entry-level positions and a formal essential-skills needs assessment to help identify potential program components. As a result of this research, BHP Billiton hired 2 full time resident Adult Educators in January 2001 to develop a customized curriculum and deliver the Workplace Learning Program. A third Adult Educator is joining the team and will focus on higher-level needs and apprenticeship preparation.

Main partners

BHP Billiton has cultivated many partnerships and collaborative ventures. The strongest linkages are those with the college in the Northwest Territories – Aurora College, as well as with the Territorial Literacy Council. Presently, we support Community Adult Educators in 12 smaller remote communities. As well, the Adult Educators work with the community college to aid them in using the same computer phonics reading program as we are in the WLP.

Collaborative learning models are shared with even competitors like the Diavik Diamond Mine (a neighbouring mine). We have also collaborated with the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) to help raise awareness around workplace education and encourage other corporations to embark on essential skills work.

Main beneficiaries

The main beneficiaries of the WLP are the employees and their families, trainers, supervisors and team leaders. We support, consult and provide information to other Adult Educators in other communities and with local businesses. BHP Billiton is concerned with concrete tangible impacts in communities across the Northwest Territories. While the company supports its employees with low skill level, they reinforce the importance of staying in school and create opportunities to talk with students in Northwest Territories school system.

Main contributors

Once BHP Billiton took the initiative to implement the Workplace Learning Place program the Government of Northwest Territories followed suit and has gradually increased their support of the Apprenticeship training component. Apprenticeship Program includes 22 apprentices in 6 different trades including Millwright, Heavy Duty Mechanic, Electrical and Instrumentation, Welding, and Mobile Cranes. The GNWT has increased its commitment is funding the Adult Educator position to concentrate on pre-trades upgrading.

Essential elements and main factors of its success

Workplace-literacy programs are not a common practice. Consequently we have had no prototype to use as a guideline, particularly one that addresses our cultural diversity or the remoteness of our operations. This program is unique in Canada in that it brings workplace learning, aboriginal content, and personal and community interest together while customizing program content for each individual learner. The message is loud and clear: BHP Billiton has cultivated a culture of learning founded on principles of respect and co-operative learning.

The essential elements in the program’s success include:

• Creating a non-threatening learning environment.
• Bringing all-stakeholders (including supervisors) into the decision making process.
• Promoting the program by way of champions in the program.
• Keeping participation voluntary.
• Promoting continuous intake.
• Providing paid work-release for learners.
• Assessing workers individually.
• Being responsive to individual learning needs.
• Incorporating short and long term goals.
• Using a variety of training mediums and learning groups.
• Following accepted adult education theories in an industrial setting.
• Remaining sensitive to cultural differences.
• Customizing existing and culturally/work relevant materials for learning.
• Assessment/evaluation process and evidence of its strength

The program has already achieved noteworthy results. These include:

• Improved self-esteem: Worker’s personal skills have improved to gain better access to community events. Workers have the confidence to take part in activities that were previously intimidating.
• Prepared workforce: Workers are better prepared to meet re-education needs. They are beginning to transfer their skills to the workplace. They are also making connections between reading and writing at the workplace and in the home.
• Safer and more productive workforce: The success stories abound as workers acquire skills and overcome fears.
• Ability to progress: Many of our Aboriginal employees are discouraged when they see co-workers go on to more challenging positions and earn higher wages while they themselves are passed over. Their inability to read and write holds them back. As they succeed in the program, they are improving skills, gaining confidence and increasing motivation in learning.
• Overcome negative experiences: Many of those involved in the program have a great deal of skill and expertise. The gap is not knowledge but rather a skill deficit: they cannot communicate their knowledge through writing. Many of these workers have avoided writing for most of their lives – a difficult mindset to overcome. Many have had negative experiences with formal education.

Impact

• Transferability of skills to the workplace: The impact of the WLP is evident in terms of safety, productivity, morale, and self esteem. For example, one supervisor commented that he noticed improvements and finds that workers are better able to document repairs that need to be done on a drill. Gradually, the gap between the essential-skill demands of the job and the essential skills of the workers is closing.
• Increased motivation for learning: Workers want lessons on calculating interest for purchases, access to information and maps for planning vacations, assistance with writing down their life stories and family history, and reviewing Band Council Meeting minutes so they have a better understanding of community events.
• Transferability of skills to the community, family and personally: Poor skills limit participation in the work force. Literacy contributes to quality of life, reducing poverty, unemployment, government assistance, substance abuse and conflict with the law. It helps improve both individual and family well-being. Educating our employees will help increase the level of literacy in our Aboriginal Communities.
• A change in attitudes: Workers who have had limited educational opportunities are overcoming their fears of reading and writing. Additionally, we are removing the stigma long associated with adult learning.
• Growth of a learning-culture: Employees are promoting the importance of education at the workplace and in their communities. Workers report how their families are helping them with reading and writing while they are home.

Potential replication and scale of the initiative

While the program is customized to the Ekati work site, the program structure and our approaches to training can be applied to any industry dealing with low literacy levels. Sharing information about the Workplace Learning Program will assist other companies with increasing Aboriginal hire and supporting its workforce. Ekati has also been working with other northern industries and community colleges in an effort to place a higher priority on workplace literacy and to show how easily our program can be applied. BHP Billiton has and will continue to act as a leader and resource by sharing its expertise.

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