Educational Video Launched
October 4, 2007 – An animated tour of an underground nickel mine and surface mineral processing plant has been developed by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA) with assistance from the Nickel Institute. The 15-minute video is designed to interest high school students in a career in mining,
Called NickelQuest, the video is a teaching tool designed to introduce students aged 13-14 to the many high-tech job opportunities available in the mining industry. Even the producers of the video became excited to learn the breadth of high-tech careers paths that are available within the mining industry and set out to share the excitement of that discovery with young teens.
“Gone are the days when mining was a labour-intensive industry based on old technology,” says Karen Mayfield, managing director of eSolutions Group, the Waterloo, Ontario-based digital media company that produced the video for the OMA.
“In working on this project we discovered how closely the technology used in mining reflects what companies like ours use everyday, and we gained an appreciation for how mining fosters innovations. For example, we learned how mining uses cutting-edge software for 3-D visualization of orebodies, geographic information systems, mine planning, virtual modeling, exploration, safety, science and management.
“With this shared background and shared goals, we’re sure NickelQuest will open doors for students, who can now combine a career in technology with leading-edge mining techniques and practices.”
The video made its debut before an audience of 150 at the new Atlas Copco Theatre, noted for the quality of its digital image projection. The theatre is located at the tourist attraction called Dynamic Earth in the Ontario city of Sudbury. Attending were 80 grade-8 school children, Sudbury Mayor John Rodriguez, and representatives of local mining companies CVRD Inco, Xstrata Nickel and FNX Mining, the Sudbury educational community and the provincial Ministry of Northern Development and Mines.
The OMA has distributed the video on DVD to grade 8 students throughout the province beginning in September, 2007. In addition, the Nickel Institute is streaming the video from this website beginning in October.
“This project sprang from the realization that it is logistically impossible to take all Ontario students on a tour of an underground mine,” says OMA President Chris Hodgson. “We decided the next best thing would be to use technology to create a ‘virtual’ tour; if you can’t take the students to the mine, why not take the mine to the students?”
Mining experts, educators, students and government all collaborated on this animation project that is designed to be amusing and interesting to a young audience while at the same time giving them a lot of educational information.
In Canada alone, the mining industry is looking to hire 80,000 skilled individuals in the next 10 years. “There are different theories about when young people start thinking about careers,” says Peter McBride, manager of communications for the OMA, “but grade 8 is a good place to start.”
“We hope NickelQuest will inform students of the more than 400 career possibilities the industry offers,” says Hodgson, adding that he hopes it will promote earth sciences and mineral education in the eyes of curriculum co-ordinators, teachers, school boards and government.
This video is freely available and could help both parents and educators introduce their 13 and 14-year-olds to careers related to nickel and to mining.
| NOTE: The Nickel Institute does not present forecasts or comments on nickel markets, prices or supply/demand. The Nickel Institute does promote the long term use of nickel to contribute to a sustainable future. The unique properties of nickel mean that it has the ability to play a significant role in daily living and the industries of today and the future. For this reason the nickel industry is currently investing billions of dollars in new projects around the globe most notably in Australia, Brazil, Canada, New Caledonia and Russia. Whenever the Nickel Institute makes a public comment, any opinions expressed or implied are those of the Nickel Institute and not necessarily those of its members. |
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Peter McBride
Manager of Communications
Ontario Mining Association
Tel: 1-416-364-9301
E-mail: pmcbride@oma.on.ca
Web site: www.oma.on.ca
