Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Apr 14/04) - A total of 36 adult learners from five different programs earned their graduation certificates earlier this month at the Rankin Inlet Community Learning Centre.

The students graduated from adult basic education (ABE), science and technology, pre-trades, office administration and strong women make strong families.

The ABE program had 10 students earn their certificates, while science and technology graduated four, strong women make strong families seven, office administration eight and pre-trades seven.

Adult educator Gerry Pflueger said the pre-trades students were the second group to graduate from the program in the past four months.

She said the centre is pushing to get as many people properly prepared for trades training as possible.

"Once the mines in our area get going, they're going to need heavy-equipment operators, drillers, mechanics and carpenters," said Pflueger.

"The trades are the key to getting local people into jobs when this all starts."

Pflueger said it's all too common for southern workers to be brought North when big projects develop.

She said the learning centre's goal is to have people prepared to be journeymen apprentices when the mines start production.

"Gradually, over time, they'll be able to work themselves up to journeymen and there won't be a need to keep bringing so many workers up from the south any more.

"Pre-trades is a huge course insofar as educating people to fill the North's future workforce."