THEBACHA/FORT SMITH - Like any large modern organization, Aurora College depends on having its information technology (IT) systems in peak form.

Chris Westwell is an information systems analyst at Aurora College in Fort Smith. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Chris Westwell is part of the team whose job it is to do that.

Westwell is an information systems analyst – in other words a computer and network technician – based at Thebacha Campus in Fort Smith.

His work involves looking after the IT infrastructure at the campus and the college's South Slave community learning centres in Fort Liard, Fort Simpson, Hay River, Fort Providence and Fort Resolution.

"We essentially maintain their IT needs from here and then we go onsite as well to perform maintenance and updates, and deliver new products," he said.

The college has three information systems analysts in Fort Smith, two in Yellowknife and two in Inuvik.

"We are essentially computer mechanics," Westwell said. "We're not the surgeons. We're the guys that are doing the house calls."

The 27-year-old native of New Brunswick, who also happens to be a Fort Smith town councillor, said there are more than 800 computers throughout the college.

"We're continually working on large projects that would be new servers, new e-mail systems and basically new information systems," he said.

Westwell, who has been employed at the college for three years, explained much of his day-to-day work involves troubleshooting.

"No matter how prepared you are and how good things are set up, there's always bound to be problems or hiccups, or someone who just needs help to do something no matter how simple or complicated," he said. "So that's where we come in."

Often he is on the telephone with someone at one of the community learning centres trying to figure out a problem.

"That's how it usually goes," he said, adding he sometimes has to walk through the computer problem in his mind, although he can also remotely connect and work on a computer in another community.

Westwell said properly functioning computer systems are important, especially for students in an educational institution like Aurora College.

"This is their education, this is their future," he said.

Westwell noted distance education with video and audio content over the Internet is becoming more important.

"A lot of distance ed is becoming a lot more like social media, where it's being uploaded by students and teachers all across the globe," he said. "So it's becoming very network dependent."

Westwell said his interest in computers began as a hobby when he was about 10 years old.

"I was a little bit of a nerd, I guess," he said with a laugh.

In fact, when he was in Grade 10, he couldn't afford a car, but could still buy upgrades for his computer.

After high school, he earned a diploma in computer graphics from New Brunswick Community College.

Westwell, who has lived in Fort Smith for seven years, said anyone considering a career in IT should have an interest in computers and how they work. "If you don't enjoy it, it's just a job."

IT never gets old, he added. "Every three months there's something brand new out. So you're always trying to keep up to the curve, which is exciting."

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