INUVIK
Inuvik's Aurora Campus has been chosen to begin offering a personal support worker program next fall.

Jane Arychuk, the president of Aurora College, announced Feb. 27 that the Inuvik campus will open a personal support worker program next September. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

Aurora College president Jane Arychuk made the unofficial announcement during a visit to Aklavik on Feb. 27.

The program will be a one-year certificate stream that will have space for 14 students next fall.

The decision to introduce the program is largely due to market demand, Arychuk said, and came at the request of Gwich'in and Inuvialuit officials.

"There are a number of positions open throughout the Beaufort Delta and also the Sahtu that could be filled by people trained in a personal support worker program," Arychuk said. "And there's been a request from the Gwich'in and the Inuvialuit, and also from the Sahtu, to run the program.

"We do think there's a cohort of students who will be interested in the program and we do know there are jobs available for them when they finish."

Arychuk said one of the main options will be the new elders facility to be built in Norman Wells.

"We're anticipating that there will be jobs there for students from the Sahtu and Norman Wells who are interested in the program."

The Aurora Campus offered the program at some point in the past, and still has all the equipment in storage, including a full lab with hospital beds.

Arychuk said she wasn't sure how long it had been since the program closed.

"So it made sense to offer it here in Inuvik," Arychuk said. "They're used to be a very wide number of programs, but it's a case of money and other things have happened and there's been cutbacks."

Arychuk said she anticipates the budget for the program will be approximately $500,000 per year.

Two full-time instructors will be needed, plus "some contract people," she said.

There likely will be little problem recruiting people to fill the positions, she said. Some transfer assignment will possibly be offered.

Applications will be ready this month for interested students.