I think this is just an "introduction to what is expected of mine employees" course. After this, if the participants feel that this is something that they pursue, I think they're given guidance about going through a formal training program over the next year or two, at institutions down south.

I see this as a great thing. You can't just pick someone up from their FN community and throw them into a Thunder Bay technical college and expect 100% success. Remember that many of these people don't have the same sort of formal education that might be expected of affluent white kids in downtown Toronto, nor the same sort of comfort level for a rigid educational process.