The GoldMind Project

 

Dawn of a New Era in Alberta

The downturn in the oil price, beginning in 2014, pushed many experienced and knowledgeable workers to the sidelines.  Many former oil and gas professionals, as a result of layoffs, have now been out of work for more than a few years. Employment Insurance benefits have run out, and they are no longer using government services, such as Alberta Works, to assist in their job search. They have tried consulting, fallen off the radar and are now overlooked in employment statistics. These individuals are discouraged and seek opportunities to become relevant in the job market again.

The Birth of The GoldMind Project

In the fall of 2016, several professionals realized that they had an opportunity to make a difference. A session put on by CSUR, CSEG, CSPG, and APEGA in September 2016 discussed how the oil and gas industry was in the past, at the time of the event, and what it was to look like in the future. The industry was in a bleak state of affairs. The event left people wondering whether they should wait for the oil and gas industry to come back or move on.  As a result, these professionals were inspired by the ‘Pittsburgh Project’, which helped transform the ‘rust belt’ economy of the Midwest in the 1980’s, these individuals committed to establishing a similar organization. Then came the creation of The GoldMind Project (GMP), which surfaced as a grassroots movement. GMP believes all professionals have the skill, experience and drive to create innovative solutions that will solve the current economic and workforce challenges on their own.

The Purpose of The GoldMind Project

The GMP is an Alberta non-profit organization supported and operated by volunteers from all sectors of the Alberta economy. Following its first (of many to come) monthly events in December 2016, membership was established at 400 people. Currently, there are over 1,000 members involved with this initiative. Growth of membership over the past few years has occurred organically as the GMP has connected with many of the unemployed/underemployed workers in Calgary through workshops and networking events. The key strategy of the GMP is to be actively engaged in the Calgary business community and be a reservoir of talent that can develop innovative solutions to specific challenges, act as a source of information and provide resources that assist Calgary professionals. The GMP collaborates with like-minded individuals, local organizations and industry professionals to deliver this mandate.

The objective of the GMP is to help Albertans transition through the current economic employment landscape, through assisting professionals in identifying their transferable skills and finding ways to market those skills creatively. It seeks to mine the pool of professional talent – the GoldMind – and leverage it to drive innovation in identifying, attracting, developing and operating new economic opportunities.  GMP seeks to fill the knowledge gap and act as a bridge between professionals and employers, institutions, and agencies that can help enact meaningful change in the job marketplace and workforce. This method of support is a fundamental transformation to the way that work has been formally obtained. A changing culture and technology-driven society has changed the way we work, job search and connect with others. Not just for job seekers, but also with the hiring agencies and organizations.

How you can be part of The GoldMind Project

After hosting a variety of successful events, over the years, The GoldMind Project has begun to expand and host events with more specific fields of interest. The key objective of GMP is to plain and simply help professionals in Calgary get to work in a career they are passionate about.  The GoldMind Project exists to establish and create a community of like-minded professionals and peers to prepare professionals for the future by:

  • Supporting them through their professional transitions;
  • Building awareness of and quantifying the assets in the GoldMind;
  • Providing inspirational wisdom;
  • Inspiring new relationships, challenge new thought and a path forward;
  • Encouraging professionals to develop their own solutions and opportunities;
  • Support the groundswell of courage to work beyond perceived limits; and
  • Get the most out of the available professional talent.

The GMP also realizes that it is not alone in the quest to assist Calgary’s unemployed or underemployed workers. To best serve its membership, it is critical for the GMP to seek out and collaborate with like-minded organizations. We are also looking to collaborate and begin partnerships with employers looking to staff their organizations with some great talent that is no longer waiting for the oil and gas industry to recover.

How you can help

  • If you know of any organizations that could benefit from these skilled professionals, let us know.
  • If you are interested in networking with others who are navigating through a career transition, attend one of the monthly GMP events.
  • If you have some topics that would be of interest in your quest for that next opportunity, please contact the GMP at [email protected].

 

For more information about The GoldMind Project and its calendar of events, visit our website at goldmindproject.com.

 

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