Journeymen grads in Inukjuak

Several residents in Inukjuak became the latest construction workers in Nunavik last month to complete training that’s meant to give them equal pay for doing the same work as their southern counterparts.

The lack of journeymen construction workers has been a perennial problem during the region’s short construction season, as employers claim they can’t hire more Inuit for higher-paying positions, because they aren’t trained to do the job.

As a result, many Inuit have been stuck with menial work, while professional workers had to be flown in from the South.

But now that’s changing. In August, the Kativik School Board began training Nunavimmiut in construction safety, a move that allows them to register with Quebec’s provincial construction authority. After that, workers can look forward to getting credit for their apprentice hours, and eventually getting higher-paying positions during the construction season.

The program, funded by the Kativik Regional Government, came after KRG representatives pledged to help at least 50 residents of Nunavik become journeyman plumbers, carpenters, electricians and heavy equipment operators by the year 2005. At the same time, KRG started pushing a subsidy program for prospective construction employers who hired Inuit.

There are currently no journeyman construction workers from Nunavik.

KRG staff expect to fund more training sessions in May, 2005.