LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
The success of five men was celebrated at Aurora College in Fort Simpson on May 15.
Randy Hetchinelle, left, Brock Sabourin, Jordan Villeneuve and Joseph Horesay stand behind the cake that was part of a special luncheon on May 15 at Aurora College to celebrate their completion of the Building Trades Helper Program. Jonathan Konisenta is missing from the photo. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo
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During a special luncheon, the five participants in the Building Trades Helper Program were presented with completion certificates. The program, which began on Feb. 11 and ended on May 17, provides an introduction to the different concepts and tools used in the basic trades including carpentry, plumbing and electrical, said Joseph Purcell, the main instructor for the course.
Purcell said the five participants, Jonathan Konisenta, Jordan Villeneuve, Randy Hetchinelle, Brock Sabourin and Joseph Horesay, displayed one of the most important things for any trades person on a job site, team work.
"These guys are team players," he said.
The five students were great to work with and were always aware of potential safety hazards, said Purcell. Purcell made particular note of Horesay who had perfect attendance and willingly shared his carpentry experience with the other students.
Horesay said he learned a lot from his classmates and thinks they learned a lot from him, too. With approximately 25 years of experience in carpentry, Horesay took the program to strengthen his math skills with the goal of challenging the exam to become a journeyman carpenter.
The program had a comfortable atmosphere and it was great to be able to take the course in Fort Simpson instead of having to travel, he said.
Brock Sabourin from Fort Providence also said he enjoyed the program and the learning experiences it provided.
"I learned quite a bit," he said. Sabourin said he took the course because there are a lot of opportunities in construction and he wanted to improve his skills so he can find a career in that area. With one program successfully completed, Sabourin would like to take more construction courses.
The Building Trades Helper Program combines classroom work with hands-on experience. Sabourin said his favourite project was the small shed the students built together. The shed was fully finished inside with gyprock and being wired for electricity.
The students also made wooden toys and wood bookcases. Norm Prevost taught the electrical portion of the course while Bob Hanna taught plumbing and Rob Currie taught first aid.
The course was offered through a partnership between the Mine Training Society Northwest Territories and the Canadian Zinc Corporation. This is the last year of a three-year silver-lining project offered by the society on behalf of Canadian Zinc. The goal of the project was to deliver training programs to aboriginals in the Deh Cho to prepare them for potential job opportunities at the Prairie Creek Mine. Human Resources and Social Development Canada funded the project.
In the fall, Aurora College in Fort Simpson plans to offer an introduction to the trades program that will prepare students to challenge the entrance exam for a trade. Programs that have been run recently at the college such as the Building Trades Helper Program may have sparked an interest in some students to pursue a trade, said Rosemary Gill, Aurora College's program head for the Deh Cho region.
