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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Seven Aurora college students celebrated their completion of the Youth Job Readiness program Friday.

Joseph Purcell celebrates the success of his pupils Bobby Cazon, left, Leo Norwegian, Liam Hardisty, Donovan Peterson and Joseph Haleschuck who all completed the Youth Job Readiness program. Derek Deneyoua and Myles Lafferty, who are not pictured, also finished the course. - Miranda Scotland/NNSL photo

The participants will receive a certificate for being a part of the course. But, instructor Joseph Purcell hopes they took home more than that.

"I hope they took in basic carpentry skills that can be an asset to a potential employer … and they have the ability to start their own business," he said.

Purcell spent seven weeks teaching the students woodworking skills, while another instructor did a week of career development with them.

The course was offered to young adults aged 17 to 30 years old and ran from Aug. 7 to Sept. 28. The course was made possible through a partnership between Aurora College, the village of Fort Simpson, the GNWT departments of Industry, Tourism and Investment and Education, Culture and Employment, and the Dehcho First Nations.

Throughout the course, the participants built seven retail booths, six picnic tables and six garbage bins. The items are owned by the village of Fort Simpson and may be put at the recreation centre for non-profit organizations and residents to use.

Purcell said the students worked well as a group and made quality creations.

"I have never seen in all my years any crew work together as they did," Purcell said, adding the boys became very close.

Student Donovan Peterson, 22, said he felt it was a worthwhile experience and thinks the skills he learned will come in handy.

"It was a pretty decent course," Peterson said.

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