Page 5 - Donlin Spring 2021 Newsletter

remain, Donlin Gold’s goal remains the same. “The goal for the project moving forward is to continue to grow the percentage of shareholder hire, looking at the talent in the region and also looking at the technical jobs that will come our way.” Smith said discovering what the future may hold for shareholder hire will be largely dependent on interest from Y-K youth. “It’s going be a technical type of workforce. We will need people who know computers and can work with instrumentation and control rooms in a mill, and who can program things and do electrical engineering or automation.”
Despite challenges due to COVID-19, the 2020 drilling program successfully met all of its goals with the dedicated work of all crew employees. Smith said, “If you put your mind to something, you can get it done. The talent, and what we were able to accomplish with the workforce, is impressive to me.”
CONNECTING DURING COVID-19
By Colleen Laraux & Rebecca Wilmarth
COVID-19 continues to challenge our efforts to stay connected without in-person contact. However, technology has given us opportunities to be creative and remain impactful in the work that we do. We regularly attend virtual conferences, conventions, training, village meetings and regional teleconferences. Our staff meets weekly over Zoom for “Lunch & Learn” sessions to share and discuss new topics that range from Yupik 101 to the ins-and-outs of Microsoft Outlook. Although we are unable to travel out to communities, our ability to connect with our stakeholders through regular phone calls, emails and various online platforms has been rewarding.
To quote our General Manager Dan Graham, “We get to ‘see’ each other in these times when we all work alone.”
In October, we were able to participate in the First Alaskans Elders and Youth Conference and the Alaska Federation
of Natives Convention, both of which were completely virtual. In November, we took part in the Alaska Resource Development Council’s Conference, as well as the Tailings and Mine Waste Conference. While we miss interacting with all the people that traditionally stop by our booth to visit, we appreciate the opportunity to have a presence in the virtual world. We look forward to events where we can meet in person and be together again.
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