Saskatchewan Industrial & Mining Suppliers Association

“We’re developing strategies and tactics to produce the workforce that’s required. We’re working with school teachers to get kids interested in the trades and engineering. At the junior high and high school level, it’s getting kids involved in work studies, some time in the shop, and then national and international competitions to foster their interest and grow their abilities. There’s already a lot of activity going on, and we’ll continue that activity and focus it toward nuclear power as we move ahead.” “Everything is achievable,” Kishchuk adds. “We have the land; we have the infrastructure here; we have the schools at the trade and engineering level to support the development of manufacturing and construction that would be required to manufacture components and to build nuclear power plants. There’s a good foundation to build off with the right investment and the right commitment in terms of policy from government and others to support the industry in the Province of Saskatchewan.” BUILDING WITH FIRST NATIONS Finally, Anderson says that another key focus for SIMSA is building capacity with First Nations, and as an example, developing the indigenous labor force for work in the incipient nuclear sector. “One of our great partners is the Saskatchewan First Nations Natural Resource Center of Excellence,” he says. “They’re a great group and we work with them a lot. The nuclear field is a brand new field of business where, if we work together, we can capture more of it. So, it’s a wonderful opportunity to foster that relationship with our First Nations partners. Also, a lot of our members are First Nations companies, so the nuclear piece is a natural fit.” 6 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 04