Matawa First Nations launched Kiikenomaga Kikenjigewen (Kiiki) Oct. 19 to replace Matawa Employment and Training (MET).

Kiiki is specifically geared toward assisting individuals in education and training within Matawa First Nations communities.

The tribal council is working toward getting members ready for a potential job boom coming with the Ring of Fire development. The Ring of Fire is home to the largest chromite deposit – used to make stainless steel – in North America. It also sits within the traditional lands of Marten Falls and Webequie.

“With construction and employment still a few years away there is an opportunity for our people to prepare themselves,” Matawa First Nations CEO David Paul Achneepineskum said. “Workforce development has been identified as a high priority among Matawa communities.”

He said currently very few Matawa members have the skills and training needed to participate in the growing mineral exploration and development sector. Literacy and numeracy is also a challenge where the academic level of most young people is below the high school level.

But Achneepineskum wants people to be ready as new estimates show the potential workforce in the Ring of Fire development could top 3,000 on-going operations jobs and 3,600 construction jobs.