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LLI GOLINE/NORMAN WELLS - Aurora College has moved into the new Edward G. Hodgson building in Norman Wells and the positive effects are already being felt.

Dudley Johnson, co-ordinator of community programs at the school, said the building has been in the works for a long time. Aurora College partnered with several other organizations in the construction of the building.

Dudley Johnson, co-ordinator of community programs at Aurora College in Norman Wells, shows off the college's new computer lab. The lab was made possible by a $26,000 donation by Schlumberger Ltd., an oilfields service provider. The college will no longer have to borrow the computer lab at Mackenzie Mountain school to offer courses. - Brodie Thomas/NNSL photo

Now there are several community and government departments under one roof.

"Upstairs we have the local school board and human resources," said Johnson. "It all works quite well because all the departments work together."

He said when a student needs to check her high school record or inquire about funding assistance, she can just go upstairs rather than all over town.

The new building is modern and brightly lit. Johnson said it is an amazing change from the old building: a portable trailer that was showing its age.

"It has made a big difference in the attitude of the students coming here," said Johnson.

He said it was not uncommon to hear "trailer trash" jokes about the old building. The trailer only had room for 10 students in the classroom. The new building can easily accommodate 20 or more. Johnson said the new classrooms could not have been completed without community partners.

Schlumberger Ltd., an oilfields service provider has helped with the facility by donating $26,000 for a new computer lab. Geir Utskot, oilfields services Arctic manager with the company, said Schlumberger was happy to partner with Aurora College. Many of Schlumberger's employees are trained in Norman Wells.

"We have a need for training and I'm not going to bring my southern instructors up when there are already institutions capable of doing the training," said Utskot.

Johnson said the campus recently hosted an employment skills training course for 19 people. The class was done in partnership with Schlumberger along with the Gwich'in and Inuvialuit. At the end of the course, Schlumberger hired four of the students.

"They had a taste of camp life," said Johnson. Even though students ended up staying in a local hotel, they had to adhere to camp rules such as early wake-up calls and a drug and alcohol free environment.

Johnson said he hopes to see the college eventually get its own building with workshops for trades training. For now he said he is more than happy sharing the space with other organizations.