Resource extraction economies, such as NunavutSA国际影视传媒檚, can only take place when the necessary support, infrastructure and services exist.
In other words, when all the other jobs that make the mining possible are being done as well.
Housing, food, care and community building are all essential components.
Pratik Rajput, senior project manager at Qikiqtani Industry Limited, has spent the last four years supporting Baffinland Iron MineSA国际影视传媒檚 work on the ground, including through the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rajput lives full-time in Iqaluit.
SA国际影视传媒淚 started as a project coordinator in 2020 [for Qikiqtani Industries Limited]SA国际影视传媒ostly focusing on recruitment for the company. In July 2021, I got promoted [to] manager, where I was focusing more on recruitment, contract management, dealing with the client a little bit as well. Beginning of 2022 is when I took over [my current] role.SA国际影视传媒�
HeSA国际影视传媒檚 helped guide the way through Covid-induced industry shutdowns and periods of enforced isolation.
Adjusting to the unexpected and having an employee-first approach was absolutely necessary, according to Rajput.
SA国际影视传媒淲hen I started in April 2020, thatSA国际影视传媒檚 when Covid started, and all the Nunavummiut from the site were sent home. We were not allowed to go to the site as a visitor. So we hired all these people over Zoom call, other media, on the telephone SA国际影视传媒� we have a lot of housekeepers, janitors, and security guards.SA国际影视传媒�
That challenge persisted for two years.
SA国际影视传媒淣o one predicted a pandemic and that these kinds of things would happen,SA国际影视传媒� he recalled. SA国际影视传媒淲e sent everyone home, and we had to bring in a [out-of-territory] workforce very quickly.SA国际影视传媒�
One of the things he recounts with pride is paying workers for staying home through this turmoil.
SA国际影视传媒淓specially with [workers] like the housekeepers. They were in every day, cleaning peopleSA国际影视传媒檚 rooms. People were being pulled from the plane, testing positive [for Covid] and things like that. Coming from a recruitment and HR [human resources] background, one of the challenges we had was just keeping employees happy, and bringing people to the site was toughSA国际影视传媒� the anxiety level is always hard whether youSA国际影视传媒檙e coming from a management perspective or employee perspective. Both were in limbo because most of the regulations were dependent on the government. The situation was changing every day. We dealt with it. I think we came out of it much stronger than ever. Our team was much closer after that, as well.SA国际影视传媒�
New strategies were essential to survival, not just for HR managers but for helping with employees as well. SA国际影视传媒淥ne good thing it has done from the HR perspective is to make it more employee-focused,SA国际影视传媒� he reiterated.
Rajput and Qikiqtani Industry Limited are experienced at consulting with Nunavummiut and taking the time to check in with the local communities.
SA国际影视传媒淲hen they are at the site, we have great help from cultural advisors and Elders provided [by] Baffinland,SA国际影视传媒� he explained. SA国际影视传媒淭hat is a very good source of communication with employees, especially when they are dealing with some kind of stress. I think the biggest thing is that in any culture, family is very important, community is very important.SA国际影视传媒�
