| The Atuqtuarvik
Corp. has begun to deliver on its promise
to train Inuit for senior-management positions.
The corporation provides loans and equity
investments to Inuit-owned businesses for
business start ups, acquisition and expansion.
The Company has recently hired Dorothy Merritt
and Tracy Wallace to embark on multi-year
training programs combining on-the-job training
with post-secondary courses.
Prior to joining
Atuqtuarvik, Merritt worked for both the
NWT and Nunavut governments as a systems
co-ordinator. She says her new position
is an opportunity for advancement that includes
further training and education. “ I’m
excited about this being a three-year-training
position, and the design of the plan being
done in partnership with the Nunavut Implementation
Training Committee (NITC),” say Merritt.
The training plan, through distant education,
can lead to obtaining a bachelor of commerce
degree in financial services.
Wallace left
her position as the commercial development
officer of Nunavut Airports with CG&T
to join Atuqtuarvik. She says was looking
for new career challenges when this opportunity
arose. “I know of some of Atuqtuarvik’s
accomplishments and was excited to join
its productive team,” says Wallace. “I
enjoy being part of discussions that encourage
and support positive solutions for a stronger
Nunavut economy.”
Lengthy
hiring process
President Ken
Toner needed highly-trained professionals
to start Atuqtuarvik’s operations.
Once that was accomplished, it made a commitment
to hire and train Inuit to eventually replace
current senior management, “NITC assisted
us in preparing job descriptions, task lists
and the three-year-training program,” says
Toner.
“NITC
is also providing almost half the training
funds required”. Toner says the hunt
for the proper candidates was an exhaustive
one, taking more than a year to complete.
He says the company took its time because
of the high cost involved with the training
aspects of the hires. “We are training
these people to become senior account managers
dealing with $1-million loans as well as
the controller’s position. “Half
of their time here will be spent studying,
academically, the other half on-the-job
training.”
Toner says Merritt
and Wallace will receive a portion of their
training at a Southern college or university.
The rest will be done through distant learning. “Our
intent is that in three years, these two
people will be fully qualified to replace
our existing staff.” |
