AURORA COLLEGE
One of the largest Northern Leadership Development classes to date celebrated

Earlier this month, Aurora College celebrated the success of 17 Northern residents at a completion ceremony for the Northern Leadership Development Program - Industry Focus (NLDP). This uniquely Northern program prepares employees new to supervisory, management or leadership roles with the skills and knowledge required to advance and succeed.

Dr. Tom Weegar, President of Aurora College, spoke at the ceremony. "Partnerships between industry and Aurora College are critical to ensure that students are receiving the in-depth training and education necessary to meet labour market needs in the Northwest Territories. These students will be the leaders of their organizations and our communities in the coming years." Participants are employed by DeBeers Canada, Deton'Cho Corporation, Diavik Diamond Mines Inc., Dominion Diamond Mines, Tlicho Ndek'aowo, and Yellowknives Dene First Nation.

Inspired by Diavik's former Aboriginal Leadership Development program, Aurora College's Northern Leadership Development Program was developed in 2011 in collaboration with the Mine Training Society and industry partners. NLDP is continually updated to incorporate input from employers, mentors and participants. The latest research in the area of leadership is also integrated into the curriculum. A key component of NLDP is matching each participant with a coach/mentor, who is carefully selected by the employer and participant. The coach/mentor's role is to provide ongoing support for the participant, and assist them in applying theory to actual practice in the workplace.

The program consists of nine multi-day modules spread over nine months, including Personal Development; Communications Skills/Coach Mentoring; Effective Personal Leadership; Effective Team Leadership; Leading while Managing; Problem Solving and Decision Making; Conflict Management; Diversity-Conscious Leadership; and Leadership in Action/Coach Mentoring.