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RANKIN INLET - Two students from Baker Lake and two from Resolute Bay completed their observer-communicator studies at Nunavut Arctic College's Kivalliq campus in Rankin Inlet earlier this month.

Instructors Bill Taylor and Paul Constantineau, back right, present observercommunicator grads Tabatha Mullin and Silas Smith of Resolute Bay and Ben Niego and Aaron Autut of Baker Lake, front row from left, at Nunavut Arctic College's Kivalliq campus in Rankin Inlet earlier this month. - photo courtesy of Mike Shouldice

Completing the nine-week program were Aaron Autut and Ben Niego of Baker, and Tabatha Mullin and Silas Smith of Resolute.

The graduation brought to 41 the number of students who have completed the program since it began being offered at the Kivalliq campus on April 25, 2006.

The program was instructed by Bill Taylor, who teaches radio communications and simulations, and Paul Constantineau, who teaches weather observation.

Constantineau has been at the Kivalliq campus for more than three years, but is returning to Ontario to spend a year's sabbatical with his family.

He said teaching the program is still fresh for him because every group of students is different.

"Upon final certification, all four students will have jobs in their home communities working at the community aerodrome radio station," said Constantineau.

"Nunavut Airports will send an aviation programs officer to their communities and the students will finish training locally.

"They're watched by the programs officer and, once certified, can carry on with their duties."

Some observer-communicator graduates move on to full-time employment, while others work part time, depending on the needs of their community.

There are about 75 observer-communicator positions in Nunavut, with five airports still needing trained people at the position.

Constantineau said a senior-observer's course may be offered at the college during the 2009-10 school year.

He said the course will include some management duties, extra weather knowledge and studies on how to conduct certifications.

"The course has been developed by Bill Taylor in consultation with Nav Canada and Nunavut Airports.

"Once we saturate the market with observer-communicators, we'll do one or two intakes of that program a year and one intake of the senior-observer's program.

"Another observer-communicator program will start on April 15, and it's expected that program will have seven students enrolled."