TALOYOAK/SPENCE BAY
Nigel Neeveacheak, newly graduated from Netsilik School May 15, has skills on his side.

After winning gold at the April 29 territorial Skills Canada competition in Iqaluit, Neeveacheak moved on to the national competition in Toronto June 4 to 6.

photo courtesy of Nigel Neeveacheak Nigel Neeveacheak, who graduated from Taloyoak's Netsilik School in May, won gold at Skills Canada Nunavut and went on to represent the territory at the national level in Toronto from June 4 to 6. -

This is not the first time he accomplished the feat - last year Neeveacheak travelled to Vancouver after his first territorial gold win.

His chosen skill is workplace safety, an aspect of the work environment that has gained more and more importance over the past few decades. Injury-free days are celebrated and rewarded, especially by industry leaders.

Cathryn Trull, his coach for the past two years, stated in an e-mail that Neeveacheak "showed a keen interest in workplace safety as well as an innate sense about recognizing problems (and) situations I created that were unsafe."

Neeveacheak defines workplace safety as "knowing what the hazards are, making sure that everyone works safely."

He cites examples such as a wet floor or things that are not stacked properly and might fall. These are just two dangerous scenes that could take place in an office workplace or construction workplace, or even a store, he said.

What he enjoys most about this work is making sure people are safe.

"And their environment and what they are doing is safe."

The young man demonstrated his dedication by attending "the weekly meetings and putting a lot of effort into learning the material. He always did well on the tests, and he reviewed the questions he made errors on," Trull said.

Trull said Neeveacheak also has a keen interest in computers, "so the research project was a way to channel that knowledge.

"We didn't have a lot of time to practice with researching specific sites related to workplace safety, but with more intense training in that area, he would probably excel."

He also developed his presentation skills with the help of a coach at the territorial competition.

"That advice helped Nigel to gain confidence speaking in front of others. The staff at the school and his peers have noticed that Nigel seems to be gaining the self-esteem needed to explore more of the world around him and ask questions."

In fact, when asked about what he might like to do in the future, besides pursuing a career in workplace safety, he said travel is high on his list after gaining new experiences and seeing new sights in Vancouver and Toronto.

Another interest is photography. He would like to do more of it in the future, he said.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.