DEH GAH GOT'IE KOE/FORT PROVIDENCE
The accomplishments of 19 adult students were celebrated in Fort Providence March 28.

Participants in the Building Trades Helper program at Aurora College in Fort Providence constructed two gazebos and a shed during the 12-week course. The students include top row, from left, Charles Tale, Gilbert Matto and Allen Sabourin. In the middle row, from left, are Ryan Larson, Malcolm Bouvier and Matthew Sabourin. In the front row, from left, are Alisha Gargan, Tyler Bonnetrouge and Rudolph Landry. Peter Canadien is missing from the photo. - photo courtesy of Bill Braden

Aurora College held a closing ceremony for the Building Trades Helper and Introduction to Office Skills programs that were run in the community. Jane Arychuk, the college's president, traveled from Yellowknife to be part of the event.

"What a wonderful accomplishment, two programs finishing," she said before presenting the completion certificates.

Ten students took the 12-week Building Trades Helper program that started Jan. 6. Alisha Gargan was the only female participant.

"I just kept thinking I can do this, I can complete this," she said.

Gargan said she was interested in learning about carpentry, particularly about using power tools to cut pieces for projects, having helped assemble patios and sheds before. To get hands-on experience, the participants in the course built a shed that they drywalled and painted and wired for electricity. They also built two gazebos that were donated to Deh Gah Got'ie First Nation. The screened gazebos are expected to be placed on the bank of the Mackenzie River so residents, particularly elders, can have comfortable places to sit and watch the river.

Mudding and painting the shed were two of the things that Gargan enjoyed about the program.

"It was great. I learned a lot," she said.

Gargan wants to work in the construction field and will be applying with Arctic Canada Construction (ARCAN) to work on the new Fort Providence health centre. She hopes to see more women enter the field of carpentry.

"If I can do it, they can do it," she said.

For Rudolph Landry, another participant in the program, the completion ceremony came too soon. Landry would like the program to be at least six months long so the program can include more detailed knowledge about carpentry, plumbing and electrical systems.

Landry said he liked the electrical systems portion of the course and building the two gazebos. He is considering applying for a trades program at Aurora College in Fort Smith.

As part of the program the students also took the Ready to Work North course, that included WHIMIS and first aid, and a week of trades math taught by Riz Khimji.

All of the students were successful and when they were working on the projects it was like they were on a work site, he said. The students were very confident in what they were doing.

The program was the last course to be offered as part of the Silver Lining Program, which was a partnership between the Mine Training Society of the NWT and the Canadian Zinc Corporation.

Nine students in the Introduction to Office Skills program were also recognized at the ceremony.

"I think it was really great," said Stephanie Gargan about the six-week program that started Feb. 17.

Gargan liked the different modules, including how to use PowerPoint and how to make flow charts.

"It was really interesting. I really enjoyed it," she said.

The program also covered numeracy for the office, oral and written communication and using computers.

The students did half a day of job shadowing and 2.5 days on a work placement in local businesses and organizations.

It was a good group of students and it was great to have two men in the class, said Elaine Harris, a community adult educator with the college who taught the course.