Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 23/99) - The number of courses offered through the North's college system has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. But what hasn't changed is the goal of providing courses suited for Northern needs.

The college campus system dates back to 1968 when a heavy-equipment operator course was offered at Fox Holes near Fort Smith.

In 1995, two colleges were created -- Aurora College in the Western NWT and Nunavut Arctic College in the East. Each has three campuses and each campus offers courses through various community learning centres in regional communities.

Nunavut Arctic College Nunatta campus Iqaluit

Among the most popular courses offered at the Nunatta campus is the Nunavut teacher education program, acting registrar Shirley Kissock said. The program runs four years and offers a diploma after two years.

Other courses offered this fall include adult basic education, environmental technology, health-care access, jewelry and metalwork, Inuit studies, management studies, and media communications which is a continuing program.

Nunatta College is offering an interior trim and cabinet program this fall.

Kitikmeot campus Cambridge Bay

The Kitikmeot Campus of Nunavut Arctic College is providing five diploma-level programs, three certificate-level programs as well as several record of participation and/or achievement programs to the residents of the region for the 1999-2000 academic year.

The following diploma and certificate-level courses are being offered in Cambridge Bay. Diplomas are offered in social work, environmental technology, management studies, Nunavut teacher education and jewelry/metalwork. Certificates are offered in management studies, environmental technology, Northern community alcohol and drug counselling program, computer specialist and aboriginal language specialist.

Keewatin campus Rankin Inlet

Rankin campus director Bob Berthiaume said the campus is offering first and second-year management studies, second-year jewelry and metalwork, community administration and adult basic education courses.

Among the courses offered at the community level, Berthiaume noted there is a pre-mining program offered in Baker Lake and a jewelry and metalwork program offered in Whale Cove.

Aurora campus Yellowknife

The Yellowknife campus offers courses in adult basic education, applied communications, office administration, management studies, Northern nursing, human services, teacher education, natural resources technology and trades and technology.

Other programs include a mine and industrial trade access program, a practical nurse program and an introduction to diamonds pre-employment program.

Aurora College Thebacha campus Fort Smith

The natural resources and management studies programs are popular choices this year, said registrar Joan Langevin.

Langevin also said 50 students have been accepted into adult basic education courses. These access courses are designed to help people upgrade in preparation for entry into certificate and diploma courses. Thebacha offers social worker access, Northern nursing access, legal access, and teacher education access courses.

Thebacha also offers a pre-technology course in conjunction with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.

Thebacha's other courses this year include office administration, teacher education, pre-employment cooking, heavy-equipment operator, pre-employment welding and a trades apprentice program.

Aurora Campus Inuvik

Anne Marie Picek, registrar at the Inuvik campus, said the office administration and the recreation leadership program are currently the most popular.

Other courses offered in Inuvik include adult basic education, social work and corrections access programs, adult education, career development, office administration, jewelry making, corrections and natural resources technology.

Buffalo building

Buffalo Airways is building a new aircraft maintenance engineering school. The school, being built at Buffalo's Yellowknife Airport location, offers a two-year Transport Canada-approved course. Buffalo has contracted with Northern Lights College to deliver the course.

Buffalo Airways president Joe McBryan said he would like to add a design component to the aviation company