Prospectors & Developers Association announces Yukon College student award

WHITEHORSE – The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) announced a new student award of $1,000 this week.

The PDAC bursary will be awarded at the end of the academic year to a Mineral Resources student who has excelled in the program and will be pursuing a second year.

“It is great to see this level of support offered to students,” said Chad Bustin, a first year student in the program.

Bustin intends to enter the second year and continue onto a Bachelor of Science in Geology before entering the mineral resource industry.

As well as the full-time course load, the 24-year-old also works two jobs to cover rent and tuition – Banquet Supervisor with the High Country Inn/Gold Rush Inn and on-call Security Officer at Yukon College.

“This could mean the difference between working a job until midnight with class in the morning and getting a good night’s sleep and going to class rested and focused,” he added.

“Our students are very committed to their success and I am certain this will be a competitive award,” said Mary Samolczyk, program instructor.

“We are thrilled with the strong support our new program has received from our local and national industry.”

“Programs like this one are integral to our industry - providing skilled workers for which there is high demand,” said Felix Lee, PDAC Director, Co-Chair of the PDAC’s Human Resource Development Committee and President, ACA Howe International Ltd. 

“The PDAC is pleased to support Yukon College students in the new Mineral Resources program. We now have bursary agreements with 10 colleges and technical schools across Canada and we are very excited about this opportunity to support students in the North.”

This is a second new award for Mineral Resources program students at Yukon College following an announcement earlier this week by Kaminak Gold Corp.

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For more information, contact:

Michael Vernon
Communications Coordinator
College Relations
Yukon College
867.668.8786
867.332.4722
mvernon@yukoncollege.yk.ca

Jacqueline Bedard
Director
College Relations
Yukon College
867.456.8619
jbedard@yukoncollege.yk.ca

Krishana Michaud
Student Liaison
Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC)
135 King Street East, Toronto, ON M5C 1G6
416 362 1969 ext 297
kmichaud@pdac.ca