Looking to the Future; Students Tour Barrick’s Goldstrike Mine in Nevada
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Scott Torrence, left, shows an ore sampling to Wells High School students. (Photo: Ross Andreson/Elko Daily Free Press)
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For Wells High School sophomore Brieanna Archuleta the trip out to Barrick Gold of North America’s Goldstrike Mine Wednesday was a reaffirmation of the vision she has for her future.
Since the eighth grade, when Archuleta was first introduced to welding, she knew she wanted to work as a welder alongside her uncle at Goldstrike. The “Nevada Mining Rocks” tour organized by Great Basin College Tech Prep and Barrick reaffirmed her career path after high school.
“I just loved it today,” Archuleta said after the tour. “I already knew I wanted to work here and now I want to so much more.”
The highlight of the tour for her was the new knowledge that welders not only fix things but help rebuild them completely.
For the 40-plus other participants of the tour, the day was meant to provide information on educational and career opportunities within the mining industry and give them a possible direction for their future.
The trip to Goldstrike was one of two “Nevada Mining Rocks” events each year. The second tour is hosted by Newmont Mining Corp. in the spring, and also takes students to a mine site.
“The purpose for the students is to expose them to the vast array of careers available through the industry. For the mines it is a way to recruit and train new talent, as well as keep people interested in the jobs offered by the industry,” said Melanie Lawson, Barrick’s community relations specialist.
“The range of trades and careers are all over the board,” said David Florence of maintenance, training and development at Goldstrike.
GBC Tech Prep offers training programs in relation to the mining industry. The tour takes those interested in careers in specific areas of mining, such as electrical or welding, and shows them exactly what those jobs entail, said Tech Prep Coordinator Heather Steel.
Students from Wells, West Wendover, Elko, Spring Creek and sometimes as far as Winnemucca participate in Mining Rocks.
GBC has a Career and Technical Education program where students can get their associated applied science degree or certificate of achievement in diesel, welding, industrial plant mechanics, electrical or instrumentation.
Students must apply by April 1 to be accepted into the 48-week program. They start school in mid-August and graduate in June.
Students must submit three letters of recommendation, a resume, letter of intent, take their placement tests and generally be accepted into GBC first, Steel said.
Students can also apply for an MTC scholarship of up to $5,000 that also includes a paid internship provided by a partnership of Barrick and Newmont.
“The goal is to see you come out with a degree,” Florence told the students after the mine tour. “A degree might not seem to matter, but in a few years it can make a big difference in moving up.”
For an application for the CTE program, CLICK HERE
— By Danielle Switaslki, Elko Daily Free Press
