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RANKIN INLET - Blair Tautu and Corey Aggark of Chesterfield Inlet received their observer-communicator diplomas in Rankin Inlet this past week.

Francis Piugattuk and Gareth Quassa of Iglulik also received their diplomas during a ceremony at Nunavut Arctic College's Kivalliq campus.

Weather instructor Paul Constantineau, left, and radio-procedure instructor Bill Taylor, right, present Blair Tautu of Chesterfield Inlet with her observer-communicator diploma at Nunavut Arctic College's Kivalliq campus in Rankin Inlet earlier this month. - photo courtesy of Paul Constantineau

The four graduates will now work at community aerodrome radio stations in their communities, providing valuable information and communication to pilots.

The program was taught by weather instructor Paul Constantineau and radio procedures instructor Bill Taylor.

The observer-communicator program will continue to be offered at the Kivalliq campus for at least the next five years.

Constantineau said the students are guaranteed work upon completion of the course because they have to be hired for the job before they're accepted into the program.

"Once they complete the program they're certified at the airport to make sure they're safe, and upon completing the certification process, they start working," said Constantineau.

"The course is nine weeks of basic training, plus, for some airports, an additional two weeks of synoptic weather training."

The previous course had two graduates and Constantineau said it's actually better for the program when there's more students.

He said instructors prefer better classroom dynamics to make the program more fun for the students.

"Our maximum is 10, but I find six to eight students ideal because it creates good classroom dynamics.

"During the program in which I had two students, it was almost like they were just sitting in their living room and learning, and that tends to get kind of boring after a while.

Constantineau said this month's four graduates achieved the highest class average of any of the eight programs taught at the Kivalliq campus.

He said the students all had positive attitudes and applied themselves well.

"One of the graduates (Aggark) took the course before but really didn't apply himself, so he wasn't successful.

"He came back this time and the difference in him was like apples and oranges.

"It was like he went from being a boy to becoming a man this time around.

"In fact, he improved to the point where he scored a 97 per cent average."