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Students build up their skills
Participants complete Aurora College office course; all pass with 'really good' marks says instructor

Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, July 10, 2014

LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Aurora College held a celebration in Fort Simpson on June 20 to recognize seven students who completed a six-week course.

NNSL photo/graphic

Aurora College in Fort Simpson held a celebration on June 20 for students who completed a six-week Introduction to Office Skills course. Among them are, from the back left, Diane Simba, Hilary Norwegian and Amber Allen. In the front stand Kyra Harris and Jasna Palis. Esther Lomen and Marion Kikoak were unable to attend the ceremony but also completed the course. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Diane Simba, Jasna Palis, Esther Lomen, Kyra Harris, Amber Allen, Hilary Norwegian and Marion Kikoak started the Introduction to Office Skills course on May 12.

"They worked really hard," said Elaine Harris, a community adult educator who taught the course.

"Their commitment was quite impressive."

The course is designed to give participants the basic skills needed to work in an office environment.

Areas of learning include professionalism and

work ethics, numeracy

for office work, written

and verbal communication skills and computer skills.

"Everyone passed and everyone passed with a really good mark," said Harris.

For Hilary Norwegian, the course was a stepping stone toward her ultimate goal – opening a catering and baking business.

Norwegian has already taken a camp cook course through Aurora College at Prairie Creek Mine. She said the office skills course will help her in running her business.

"Everything about it was pretty interesting," she said.

"I loved getting to know the people who were participating in the course with me."

Norwegian said learning how to use computer programs – including Microsoft Word and Excel – were new experiences for her.

She also did a two-day work placement at the Visitor Information Centre.

"It was a good experience being in a work environment like that," she said.

Norwegian is already making plans to take a start your own microbusiness course that the college will be offering in the fall.

For Amber Allen, the course was a way to move closer to her goal of working in an office, possibly as an administrative assistant.

"It taught me a lot of things about how to be professional," she said.

Numeracy for the office was Allen's favourite topic. She liked learning about time sheets and per diems.

Allen did her placement at the college's office.

Other businesses and organizations that hosted placements included Deh Cho Suites, the Village of Fort Simpson, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the Dehcho Divisional Education Council.

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