SIAST go! alumni magazine (Issue 2)

go alumni

Greener Homes: Does Yours Measure Up?

MAGAZINE Vol.2 Issue.1

Spring 2012

Celebrating

Aboriginal Alumni Pictured: Brad Darbyshire of Points Athabasca

Business Benefits of Social Media

+

World of Business: International Alumni

BIG JNE Welding is

on Business

MINING

Talent with SIAST

in two years or less

Apply now!

At locations across the province, the following certificate and diploma programs have seats available this fall. For more information, visit goSIAST.com and click on Choices for 2012.

Applied/Visual Media

Engineering Technology

Media Arts Production New Media Communications Website Design and Development

Business

Business Accountancy Business Administration Business certificate Business Financial Services Business Human Resources Business Insurance Business Information Systems Business Marketing Entrepreneurship and Small Business Office Education

CAD/CAM Engineering Technology Computer Engineering Technology Electrical Engineering Technology Electronic Systems Engineering Technology Engineering Design and Drafting Technology Environmental Engineering Technology Geomatics Engineering Technology Instrumentation Engineering Technology Mechanical Engineering Technology Mining Engineering Technology Water Resources Engineering Technology

Health Services

Continuing Care Assistant Health Information Management

Education and Early Learning Early Childhood Education Educational Assistant

Hospitality

Food and Nutrition Management Hotel and Restaurant Administration Professional Cooking

Human Services

Disability Support Worker Hairstylist

Industrial/Trades

Auto Body Technician Automotive Service Technician Carpentry Machine Shop Parts Management Technician Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Welding

Natural Resources

Forest Ecosystem Technology Geographic Information Science for Resource Management Integrated Resource Management Resource and Environmental Law

Science

BioScience Technology Chemical Technology

Technology

Architectural and Building Technologies Architectural and Interior Technologies Building Systems Technician Computer Systems Technology Electronics Technician

Justice

Aboriginal Police Preparation

facebook.com/SIAST

(467-4278)

www.goSIAST.com/Choices

twitter.com/SIAST

youtube.com/SIASTtv

Alumni Interactive

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Greetings from the SIAST Alumni Relations office. I’m Mindy Herauf (Business Admin, Palliser ’80), alumni relations coordinator. Although this office has but a brief history – we opened our doors in 2010 – the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) came into existence through provincial legislation proclaimed January 1, 1988. The institute’s history goes back much further, as far as 1941, when the Canadian Vocational Training School was established in Saskatoon to assist with rehabilitating and training war veterans.

SIAST has four campuses that build on the great work of its founding schools. They provide a top-notch education to students from around the province, Canada and the world: n S IAST Kelsey Campus, Saskatoon (formerly Saskatoon Region Community College, the Advanced Technology Training Centre and the Kelsey Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences) n S IAST Palliser Campus, Moose Jaw (formerly Saskatchewan Technical Institute and Coteau Range Community College) n S IAST Wascana Campus, Regina (formerly Wascana Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences and Regina Plains Community College) n S IAST Woodland Campus, Prince Albert (formerly Prince Albert Regional Community College, the Northern Institute of Technology and Meadow Lake Vocational Training Centre) It’s my job to help build a strong alumni network and create a history for the Alumni Relations office. This is where you come in. If you have completed any certificate, diploma or degree program, on-campus, on-line or through continuing education; received apprenticeship training; or are a past member of the staff or faculty at SIAST – then you are SIAST alumni, and you are part of our alumni history.

Plan to attend our first ever Alumni Homecoming, to be held at SIAST Kelsey Campus in Saskatoon on October 20, 2012.

We welcome all alumni from any campus and any program to join us. Watch for details on the SIAST alumni web page at www.goSIAST.com/alumni. Encourage others to register so we can foster a vibrant SIAST community around the world, maintain lifelong relationships with SIAST and each other, and build our alumni history.

Contents 04 08 12 13 14 17 18 20 22 24 24 26 28 30 31

First Off

Start Out Right: Celebrating Aboriginal alumni World Feeders: PotashCorp finds fertile ground Home at Last: New to Sask., a couple finds success World of Business: SIAST brokers the best Build on Education: Alumni advisors wanted An Alumni Three-Pack: Meet the best The New Socialites: Make social media work Connect Over Dinner: A signature event Local Hero: Meet Reg Forbes The Grapevine: Catch up with alumni A Deeper Green: Does your home measure up?

Big on Business: Featured employer JNE Welding Introducing SIAST’s Winning Grads Last Word: Saying goodbye

go alumni

I’d like you to meet some folks just like you on the following pages. By staying in touch and sharing their experiences, alumni history is being written. And there is so much more to write. Tell us your story.

On behalf of the staff, editors, contributors and supporters of SIAST go! alumni, I hope you enjoy this issue of the magazine. We welcome your suggestions and comments.

Please contact us at siast.alumni@siast.sk.ca.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Mindy Herauf Alumni Relations Coordinator

goSIAST.com

MAGAZINE

Volume 2, Issue 1, 2012 Published by the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, SIAST Donor and Alumni Relations Tel: 306.775.7358

Email: siast.alumni@siast.sk.ca

SIAST ALUMNI CO-ORDINATOR: Mindy Herauf MANAGING EDITOR: Mifi Purvis CONTRIBUTORS: Liz Crompton, Ashley Hatley, Mindy Herauf, Mifi Purvis, Lisa Ricciotti ART DIRECTOR: Deborah Clague PHOTOGRAPHERS: Tom Bartlett, Deborah Clague, Jerry Humeny SIAST CAMPUSES: Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina, Saskatoon COVER: SIAST alumnus Brad Darbyshire

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First Off

New Digs for ABE

SIAST’s Adult Basic Education (ABE) program in Saskatoon has moved to the historic E.A. Davies building at SIAST Kelsey Campus. The renovated building has a long history in Saskatchewan’s education system. In 1922, it was the province’s teacher’s college, usually called “Normal School.” Other tenants have come and gone, and various SIAST programs have been housed there.

Now, Basic Education – along with the students, instructors, counsellors and administrative staff – calls the E.A. Davies building home. The move acknowledges the importance of Basic Education to the SIAST community and to the students themselves. Students come from diverse backgrounds in terms of their countries of origin, cultures and experiences. Most stay in the Basic Education program for a short time and go on to a wide variety of future paths. The program helps students develop academic and job-readiness skills and gain the pre-requisites they need for future education.

Each SIAST campus offers Basic Education academic upgrading programs and courses in the evening and/or during the day on a part-time basis. Courses include adult high school 30-level credit and bridging courses, GED Grade 12 equivalency and testing, English language training, literacy skills and online distance learning.

Love Your Library

HISTORIC HOME: Darryl Guyda, project manager with SIAST Facilities, oversaw the re-housing of several SIAST Kelsey ABE programs in the E.A. Davies building.

Alumni can borrow SIAST library books, journals, DVD collections and electronic resources. Before you buy an iPad 2, iPod Touch or e-reader, try one out at the library. Bring $20 and some ID for a year’s library use. For more information, contact circulation at 1-866-460-4430.

What’s go!ng on?

Check out our annual calendar of events JANUARY / FEBRUARY Career Fairs

Each of SIAST’s four campuses – Kelsey, Palliser, Wascana and Woodland – hosts a career fair in the first two months of the calendar year. These fairs let employers showcase their companies and attract qualified grads. Students and alumni can learn about employers and job opportunities.

Contact Student Employment Services for more information. goSIAST.com/employers/ career_fairs.shtml

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MARCH

SIAST Business and Industry Dinners

A signature SIAST event, these dinners provide a networking opportunity for students and business leaders. Soon-to-be grads are seated with company managers and owners and find out, over a swank dinner, what kind of employees they’re looking for. Employers meet potential new hires and find out what skills the students bring. Each of SIAST’s four campuses hosts a dinner in March every year. Proceeds support student scholarships and bursaries.

Contact Donor and Alumni Relations for more information. goSIAST.com/alumni_ giving/business_industry_dinners.shtml

myRobot Rumble

At SIAST Kelsey Campus, high school students create robots that compete for dominance, putting the rough-n-tumble in science and engineering. In the process, students from across Saskatchewan demonstrate problem-solving skills, technical knowledge of electronics and teamwork. Top prize is a $1,500 credit towards tuition for any participating SIAST electronics program. goSIAST.com/ myRobotRumble

Chem Tech Conference

Sponsored in part by the Canadian Society for Chemical Technology (CSCT), this yearly event brings dozens of chemical technology students together from SIAST, NAIT and SAIT to network and to share their experiences in the form of a friendly competition. Last year, SIAST students took the top three prizes. Students make presentations about a range of Saskatchewan chemical-related industries. chemistry.ca

Mining Talent

Mining is booming in Saskatchewan. Current projections say that, due to retirement and new projects, the industry will need in excess of 15,000 more workers in the next 10 years.

To beef up SIAST’s already significant supply of qualified workers, the school has minted the Mining Engineering Technology program.

“The program responds to current needs in the Saskatchewan mining industry,” says Jamie Hilts, dean of Technology. He says that SIAST’s various trades and tech programs will continue to serve the sector. “Then, specific to the mining field itself, will be the mining engineering technologists, who will work closely with engineers and others in the mining industry.”

Karen Coates, program head of Mining Engineering Technology, agrees that the program is tailored to the needs of the mining industry.

“The two-year program will focus on surface and underground surveying, mine ventilation, ground control and mine planning and design in both hard and soft rock mining environments,” she says. “It’s going to be everything from hands-on to theory classes.”

Applications for the new Mining Engineering Technology program opened in January for September 2012. Prospective students can apply online, in person or by mail. >> See goSIAST.com.

THE PROGRAM RESPONDS TO CURRENT NEEDS IN THE SASKATCHEWAN MINING INDUSTRY.

JUNE

Campus Graduations

Late spring and early summer mean graduation time: SIAST Palliser Campus (April 27, 2012), SIAST Kelsey Campus (May 25, 2012), SIAST Woodland Campus (June 8, 2012), and SIAST Wascana Campus (June 22, 2012). Contact the local campus director’s office for details.

JULY

GETT Camp

Girls Exploring Trades and Technology (GETT) is a week-long summer day camp and a great opportunity for girls in grades 7 and 8 to explore the trades and technologies. Activities can include designing, building and racing go-carts. Along the way, girls build new skills and confidence. Camps run in July at all four campuses. goSIAST.com/GETT

OCTOBER

Alumni Homecoming

Since opening in spring 2010, the SIAST Alumni Relations office has been growing

its membership, publishing this alumni magazine, establishing programs and benefits and developing policies and procedures.

It’s time to start having some fun. Join us for an evening of reconnecting, reminiscing and socializing. Our first homecoming event happens at SIAST Kelsey Campus in October 2012. All SIAST alumni are invited to attend.

Watch for unfolding details on the SIAST Alumni web page, or call (306) 775-7358. goSIAST.com/alumni_giving/alumni_ services.shtml

NOVEMBER through MARCH Mining Industry Events

Saskatchewan has one of the fastest growing economies in Canada and the mining sector is leading the way with career opportunities for engineers, geologists, environmental scientists, technologists and skilled trades people. Mining careers are rewarding and offer a great work-life balance.

Saskatchewan’s post-secondary institutions are teaming up with the Saskatchewan Mining Association to host great mining information

Photograph by Jerry Humeny

events and introduce you to industry leaders. saskmining.ca

ALL YEAR

Applied Research and Innovation

The SIAST office of Applied Research and Innovation hosts a variety of informative events including lunch-and-learn sessions with regional entrepreneurs; a speaker series on current issues in technology, health, environment and urban development; and workshops and seminars on applied research topics. goSIAST.com/research

+ A DD YOUR EVENT HERE

Does your company hold regular professional development, industry or networking events that might be of interest to SIAST students, faculty or alumni? Tell us the details and we can promote it for you in the next issue of SIAST go! alumni. siast.alumni@siast. sk.ca or (306) 775-7358.

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What’s on Tap

With the turn of a faucet in Saskatchewan, most of us have access to fresh drinking water. Few will even think twice about it, but Jason Tokarchuk knows what goes on behind the scenes.

Tokarchuk is an environmental project officer with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment. He works to regulate facilities that provide drinking water and those that deal with sewage and waste water disposal.

While there’s no average day, Tokarchuk’s professional life includes drafting permits and enforcing legislation. He advises builders who are bringing facilities up to code and, where there’s a new subdivision in the works, he helps planners. In the process, he travels a 500-kilometre chunk of the province, testing water, inspecting facilities and, occasionally, issuing advisories. “The field is dynamic and changing,” Tokarchuk says. “To succeed, an interest in the environment is key.”

Tokarchuk, 29, is a graduate of SIAST’s Water Resources Engineering Technology program. “I knew I wanted something to do with the environment,” Tokarchuk says. After his first year, he did an eight-month work term in a water treatment facility, and he was hooked. “I saw that the program had a real role to play in resource management,” he says.

Art Skibinsky, a consulting engineer and instructor in the Water Resources Engineering Technology program, says that the safety of Saskatchewan’s drinking water has increased since the provincial government introduced mandatory certification of water and wastewater operators following water-related illnesses

WATER WATCHER: Jason Tokarchuk manages an important resource.

in North Battleford and deaths in Walkerton, Ontario more than a decade ago. “It’s a good, cautious approach,” he says of the certification of technicians, which minimizes risk to consumers.

It also means that professionals such as Tokarchuk are in demand.

Opportunities and information on health careers in Saskatchewan are only one click away at healthcareersinsask.ca, call 1-877-SK-HIRES (1-877-754-4737) or email: contactus@healthcareersinsask.ca

Gather Your WITT

The Women in Technology Exploratory Course is a 12-session evening program organized by Women in Trades and Technology (WITT), a SIAST initiative that encourages girls and women to consider work opportunities in fields traditionally dominated by men.

Participants in the course “can try out eight of the engineering technologies SIAST offers, all of which are in high demand in the labour market,” says Anna Kwasnica, WITT coordinator at SIAST. There are currently a dozen engineering technology diploma programs at SIAST, in areas such as computer-aided drafting, surveying, instrumentation, mining and geomatics. And while women enrol directly in and graduate from all of the programs, some choose this exploratory course to give engineering technology a test drive before signing up.

Exposure to female role models is one of the most effective ways to attract women to typically male-dominated careers, says Crystal Stadnyk, SIAST’s WITT provincial facilitator. With a background in computer systems technology, Stadnyk herself is a role model.

She also has led cool, hands-on mother-and-daughter workshops at SIAST for girls in grades 5, 6 and 7.

“It’s a really fun, non-threatening way to introduce technical concepts,” says Stadnyk, “and it increases girls’ confidence in their abilities.”

Get plugged into a great career.

At SaskPower, we generate more than just electricity for Saskatchewan residents.

We also offer some of the best career opportunities in the province.

Visit saskpower.com/careers to learn more and find the latest job listings.

Consider a career with one of Canada’s top employers RBC® is proud to be one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 2012. We are committed to providing a work environment where our employees can learn and expand their careers to their full potential.

Be a part of the RBC team.

Visit rbc.com/careers

®/™ Registered Trademark and Trademark of Royal Bank of Canada.

START OUT RIGHT Saskatchewan’s Aboriginal post-secondary grads are likely also SIAST alumni.

And it’s a great match.

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B

RAD DARBYSHIRE IS HAPPY TO SERVE AS A ROLE MODEL FOR SASKATCHEWAN’S ABORIGINAL PEOPLE. JUST DON’T ASK HIM TO BOAST ABOUT HIMSELF. “I’m no different than most,” says the successful – but modest – 38-year-old, who grew up in Saskatchewan’s remote north, first in Buffalo Narrows, then Big River. “You’d never have picked me out in high school as most likely to succeed.”

Darbyshire won’t brag, but his track record speaks for itself.

Eleven years ago he took a leap of faith and signed on as the first manager of Points Athabasca. The young general contracting company was founded only two years earlier, in 1999, to engage Saskatchewan’s First Nations people in the province’s growing economy by providing skilled Aboriginal workers for Athabasca Basin’s construction and mining companies. The company had just two big projects under its belt at the time.

Points Athabasca’s website isn’t shy about Darbyshire’s role in its current success. As the company history section points out: “In 2001, with a manager in place to market Points Athabasca full-time…the company started into its growth phase.”

Today Points Athabasca proudly promotes itself as Aboriginal owned and operated. It’s structured as a collaboration between First Nations and non-Aboriginal people, with 75 percent ownership by the Athabasca Basin Development group of seven Athabasca municipalities, which includes three First Nations communities. The remainder is owned by The Graham Group. Operations have expanded into northern Alberta and Manitoba, and, in 2011, the company received the ABEX Aboriginal Business Partnership Award.

Darbyshire finds his time has increasingly shifted from management operations to strategic planning and long-term business development. He frequently travels across Western Canada, where, as the Aboriginal initiative manager of The Graham Group, he actively encourages other Aboriginal people to pursue rewarding careers. His message is simple: “You can open doors and do what you want. If I can make it, so can others like me.”

But even a role model needs a role model, and Darbyshire knows exactly who his are. “I always looked up to my mom and dad,” he says. “I saw how they made a good life for themselves and decided that’s what I wanted too.”

FIRST FAMILY: the Darbyshire family has roots in Saskatchewan and SIAST, (L-R) brother Kyle, Brad Darbyshire, mom Diana and dad Leonard, and brother Devin.

His parents, Leonard and Diana Darbyshire, currently live in Îsle-à-la-Crosse, and both have successful careers that began with SIAST training. Leonard, the son of a Norwegian immigrant, is a journeyman welder who trained at SIAST Palliser Campus in Moose Jaw in the early 1980s. He’s originally from Big River and is now a maintenance supervisor at Cameco’s uranium mine in Rabbit Lake.

Diana, a treaty Cree originally from Buffalo Narrows, received her Certified Nursing Assistant diploma from SIAST in 1977, back when the program was offered in Saskatoon. She later completed her Registered Nursing diploma, graduating as one of northern Saskatchewan’s first Aboriginal nurses. Her 35year nursing career has spanned the gamut of acute, emergency, surgical, pediatrics and long-term care in Big River and Îsle-àla-Crosse.

The pair’s influence on their three sons is obvious. Brad Darbyshire, who originally planned to make family history as the first to graduate from university, decided after two years at the University of Saskatchewan it wasn’t for him. “I’m a very practical guy, and there was too much theory,” Darbyshire says of the experience. So he reset his sights on learning a trade, like his father, and graduated from SIAST’s Heavy Duty Mechanic program.

Inspired by his older brother’s success, Devin decided to follow in Brad’s footsteps. Now 26, Devin is a lead mechanic with Graham Construction in Saskatoon, after also completing SIAST’s Heavy Duty Mechanic program.

At 23, Kyle is the youngest of the three brothers and currently works as a welder, like his dad. “Kyle tried heavy duty mechanics for a couple of years in Fort McMurray but didn’t like it,” says Brad. “He decided welding’s his trade, and he’s now working on his apprenticeship in Alberta. We’d all love him to be closer and attend SIAST too, but Alberta’s where the work is for him.”

Mom Diana laughs when asked if she thinks her sons looked to their parents’ pursuit of education as a model for their career paths.

“I didn’t give them much choice! I said they had to go to school.

Today it’s get an education or have a life of low wages and hard labour. I’m proud of them; they’re all doing well.”

Continued on next page >>

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DARBYSHIRE’S MESSAGE IS SIMPLE: “IF I CAN MAKE IT, SO CAN OTHERS LIKE ME.” Leonard says he never pushed his sons to choose welding, but always encouraged them to get an education and learn a trade. “There’s a real sense of accomplishment in being able to say, ‘I made that,’ or ‘I fixed that,’ which you don’t always get from a job behind a desk,” Leonard explains.

Looking back, Brad Darbyshire feels he couldn’t have made the move up to a management position with The Graham Group without his SIAST training.

“What impressed them at my interview was that I’d maintained a million-dollar fleet of equipment at Areva’s mine. They said I was young, with no management experience, but it didn’t matter. They needed someone who understood machines, and they’d send me on courses to learn management skills.”

Brad has added a Business Administration certificate and a University of Saskatchewan Masters Certificate in Project Management to his resumé.

“Money was tight growing up, and nothing was handed to us,” adds Devin. “But having a trade and a SIAST education gave me lots of different directions to pursue.”

As for Brad, his role-modelling duties have now expanded beyond his brothers and the Aboriginal community to include being a good example for his two children, ages seven and five.

Will the new generation of Darbyshires continue the family trend toward being SIAST alumni? It’s too soon to tell, but in the meantime, Diana Darbyshire still encourages her sons to get more SIAST training.

“I tell them, you’ve got one trade ticket, now go out and get another one,” she says. “You have to keep on learning.”

Sandy Bay Success Story

Johnny Walker grew up in northeastern Saskatchewan, back when his community of Sandy Bay had 1,500 residents. He remembers the culture shock when he went to high school in Saskatoon. “I was one of very few native kids and it was scary,” he says. Back in Sandy Bay, kids had one teacher for years and developed close relationships with them. “Suddenly I had a different teacher for every class and new ones every term.”

Still, Walker did pretty well, even though his weakest subject was chemistry – funny, because he wound up getting a Chemical Laboratory Technician diploma from SIAST. “When I started I hardly knew what a periodic table was,” he says. “By the time I was done I knew it cold.” And the program equipped him for a job in the lucrative mining field in the province. It was the first step in many towards a higher education that includes a business administration diploma from SIAST and a bachelor of commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan, where he is one of 12 elected senators advising the university.

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And today, Walker is corporate executive officer at the Prince Albert Grand Council, which has a membership of 34,000 and covers a huge swath of northern Saskatchewan. He oversees the finances and acts as a liaison between 12 chiefs, two vice chiefs and a grand chief on the one hand and the federal and provincial governments on the other. “It’s a balancing act,” he says. “But it’s my job to ensure transparency and accountability for every dollar we receive from our funding agencies.”

Walker has worked closely with SIAST and the Prince Albert Band Council to remove a big barrier to education: The group initiated and realized the student housing project at SIAST Woodland Campus. He credits the incremental nature of his education for his success. “I see some high school graduates launch right into university and become overwhelmed and decide to take some time off,” he says. “One year turns into two, and they don’t go back.” He thinks SIAST offers choices in terms of programs, location and time commitment that work for many Aboriginal students and others from smaller centres. “Whenever I have the opportunity,” he says, “I talk about my education.”

Get Career Advice, ASAP

Inspired by the Darbyshires’ and Johnny Walker’s success? If you’re also Aboriginal, there’s help for you to pursue your education dreams – ASAP. Although SIAST has more Aboriginal students than any other post-secondary institution in Saskatchewan and the second-largest Aboriginal enrolment at any Canadian college, Aboriginal students still face multiple barriers. That’s why SIAST developed the five-year Aboriginal Student Achievement Plan, better known as ASAP.

After eight months of research and consultation, ASAP was released in 2010 with a solid action plan containing 21 items aimed at increasing Aboriginal students’ participation and success rates at SIAST. It builds on SIAST’s long-term commitment to Aboriginal student recruitment and retention through supports such as its Aboriginal activity centres and Elder access at each campus.

In 2011, SIAST added six new Aboriginal student advisors to help smooth the transition to post-secondary learning in an urban environment for new Aboriginal students. The advisors support students from the application process through graduation by connecting them with the right resources, programs and services.

“The historical reasons that caused First Nations people to fall behind won’t be fixed overnight. But we’re getting back on our feet, and success starts with training,” says SIAST alumni Brad Darbyshire. “It doesn’t get any better than what’s offered at SIAST.” For more on ASAP support, see www.goSIAST.com.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF

CHALLENGE Uranium mining offers continual challenges.

If you’re looking to work in an exciting industry with global operations and diverse scientific and environmental components – then Cameco has a career for you.

Making a

difference TOP MAN: Johnny Walker talks about his education whenever he can.

cameco.com/careers

P

otashCorp has reason to be proud: It’s the largest fertilizer company by capacity and the leading producer of potash in the world. The crop nutrient PotashCorp produces is sold from China to India to Latin America, fertilizing the crops that feed people the planet over. Headquartered in Saskatoon, the awardwinning company has operations or interests in seven countries.

As such a big player, it can afford to be picky about who it hires.

SIAST graduates are among those who make the grade.

“What we see from SIAST are employees that have applicable training and knowledge. They have the training to be job ready,” says Jordan Jakubowski, director of Employee and Industrial Relations at PotashCorp.

While the company doesn’t keep records on where its employees graduate from, Jakubowski says many SIAST alumni work for the company, especially in trades but also in human resources, business accounting, IT and administration. They hold positions such as supervisor, manager and superintendent.

PotashCorp benefits from more than just the job-readiness of these employees: It also benefits from being part of SIAST’s extended alumni community. For example, Jakubowski says, the company is invited to attend career fairs, where it can speak with students and have a direct impact on future recruitment. And being able to offer awards to SIAST students – to the tune of 116 awards in the 2011-12 academic year – PotashCorp can invest in organizations it believes bring long-term value to the community.

POTASHCORP HIRES JOB-READY EMPLOYEES, AND IT ALSO BENEFITS FROM BEING PART OF SIAST’S EXTENDED ALUMNI COMMUNITY.

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PotashCorp produces 20 percent of a hungry planet’s capacity of certain crop fertilizers One geologist credits the Geographic Information Science (GIS) certificate she earned in 2010 at SIAST Woodland Campus for helping her land a great job at PotashCorp, where she uses the skills she learned at SIAST every day.

“Looking back, I see that, with my geology degree (from the University of Saskatchewan), I was employable, but I also recognize that the more I developed my technical skills, the more valuable I became as an employee,” Jodi Olchowy says.

“Technical skills are considered valuable assets when you look at any job posting in my field.”

She says because SIAST maintains a connection with graduates, information flows both ways: GIS alumni can learn from their former instructors about the latest updates to the program’s key software, while the instructors hear what’s happening in the job field and can pass on opportunities to students and other alumni.

SIAST recently invited Olchowy to participate in a meeting of its GIS industry validation committee, whose objective is to evaluate the program’s course content and ensure it is keeping pace with changes in the field. She found a cross-section of representatives from government and industries such as forestry around the table.

“It gave the committee a chance to learn, firsthand, the ideas and demands of other natural resource sectors,” she says. “This type of forum is a great opportunity for SIAST to maintain ties with its graduates, and for graduates to stay involved with the program.”

Photograph by Jerry Humeny

+ World Feeders

+Home at Last New to the province, a young couple gains support in achieving success

W

ith his accomplishments, friendly manner and easy approachability, you would never guess that Sohel Arafin, 28, struggled to find a comfortable place in life.

Today, Arafin says that to succeed, one needs three things: motivation, support from his family and support from his educational institution. When he came to Saskatchewan in 2007, everything clicked and all three things fell into place.

Before that, Arafin had been adrift. He’d come to Canada from Bangladesh in 2003 as a 21-year-old, and there wasn’t much about his new country that felt like home. He started out in Montreal, working as a labourer. His choices of employment were limited by his imperfect English and French, and his lack of education. Things started looking up in 2004 when Arafin met his future wife Tracy in Sault St. Marie, Ontario. They married the following year and came west – they’d heard there were jobs in Alberta.

“I worked in labour and in manufacturing,” Arafin says, “but I was very dissatisfied.” On top of that, the boom was reaching new heights, and the young couple was finding it hard to make ends meet in the overheated Alberta economy. Arafin was definitely motivated to do something to increase his employability – he was starting to feel stuck in the low-wages, high-rent life.

It was Tracy who hit on the idea of coming to Saskatchewan.

She did some research and found out that the cost of living was lower here. More important – she found out about SIAST. The institute offered programs that focused on English as a second language (ESL). One of them, English for Post-Secondary Success, seemed perfect for Arafin, who wanted to improve his level of education along with his English competency. With Tracy’s support, the course allowed Arafin to develop the English language skills (particularly writing) that would meet admission standards and set him up for success in other programs.

So in 2007, the couple – now with a young daughter in tow – picked up and moved again. Arafin registered in the ESL course and finished it in four months. Then both he and Tracy registered in Adult Basic Education, he to gain high school equivalency, she to improve her grades.

“One of the biggest challenges for me was writing,” Arafin says. Fortunately, he had some great SIAST instructors to help.

Glenda McCormick, in particular, was instrumental in teaching him the basics of writing essays and papers. Her support (along with that of Brenda Warnke, Ted Deacon and James Hawn) was invaluable to Arafin. “Really, they gave their time to me,” he says.

McCormick taught English language arts to both Arafin and his wife. “They both overcame backgrounds that could have prevented them from succeeding,” she says. “It’s such a pleasure to see them doing so well.”

SOHEL ARAFIN AND HIS WIFE TRACY FOUND THAT SIAST HAD THE PROGRAMMING THEY NEEDED TO GAIN A FRESH START. Sohel Arafin finished the year – the equivalent of Grade 12 – with a 91 percent average, more than enough to get him accepted to the University of Saskatchewan. Today, he’s in his third year of commerce with plans to apply to law school or possibly do an MBA. “I could not have done any of this without SIAST,” Arafin says. But he wasn’t the only one in the family to benefit. After upgrading, Tracy registered in SIAST’s two-year Youth Care Worker diploma program. Today, she is thoroughly engaged in her job as a corrections officer. The couple has made many friends and a comfortable home for their daughter.

“Saskatoon is the first place in Canada I’ve felt at home,” Arafin says. “We’ll definitely stay here after I graduate.”

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Photograph by Deborah Clague

WORLD OF BUSINESS

Lê Hữu Tân

SIAST is a leader in brokering its programs around the province and around the world.

The result: global alumni

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here’s a world of SIAST alumni who have never set foot in Saskatchewan. Always active in informal alumni activities, the group of SIAST grads from the Business Administration program delivered at Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry (HUI) are now organizing to form a branch and chapter of SIAST alumni overseas. The time is right.

“In November 2011, 133 people graduated with a SIAST business diploma from HUI,” says Miles Fahlman, project coordinator, SIAST International Education. Gov. Gen. David Johnston was present for the ceremony. Fahlman says the many alumni from HUI have added an international flavour to SIAST’s Palliser Campus-based program, and they bring a distinctly SIAST hands-on approach to business.

Fahlman says that, as a matter of culture, Vietnamese grads are typically loyal to an alma mater, and that the four classes of SIAST grads to date in Vietnam have always held alumnilike events, including get-togethers, celebrations, mentoring and networking. Formalizing the efforts, he says, will further cement SIAST as a player on the local scene. “A SIAST education is seen as prestigious in Vietnam,” he says. These alumni typically find work easily and earn more than many of their peers. “Vietnamese alumni are proud of their SIAST education,” Fahlman says. And it cuts both ways.

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Lê Hữu Tân is one of the grads. He spoke to SIAST’s Deborah Clague a couple of days before the Business Administration program graduation ceremony at HUI. He told her that he chose SIAST after doing some internet research. “My favourite subjects were marketing and human resources management,” he says of his coursework. “I have conducted many brand name marketing assessments and learned about the rules that employees and managers must follow when being hired for work.” Aspiring to work in human resources, Lê says he recommends the program to his friends. “It provides a number of great opportunities once you graduate.”

“The Vietnam program is a validation of SIAST’s success,” Fahlman says. “And now we will have an overseas alumni branch and chapter for the Business Administration program.”

Fahlman adds that the program has cemented the school’s reputation as a leader in the international delivery of education; SIAST now brokers its business program in Mauritius and has plans for India, too.

To boost the efforts of its newest alumni branch and chapter, SIAST was able to present it with some seed money to kickstart alumni activities. “They have not finalized or formalized activities yet,” says Fahlman of the alumni group, “but it’s a work in progress.”

Start Your Own

Simply put, alumni chapters are groups of graduates who studied the same program or program area while attending SIAST. Alumni branches are graduates of any program who live in a particular geographical area. Both provide members with a means of maintaining lifelong connections with SIAST and each other through social and professional networking opportunities and other activities of interest to members.

Chapters and branches are organized when there is sufficient interest to support and sustain activities, as is the case with SIAST’s Business alumni in Vietnam, where grads are currently organizing a branch and chapter.

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SIAST’s alumni are the result of everything that the institute does and they’re the most important measure of SIAST’s excellence as a post-secondary institution.

All SIAST graduates of any certificate, diploma or degree program automatically become members of the SIAST Alumni Association. We welcome those who have received apprenticeship training, or completed Continuing Education programs to register at www.goSIAST.com/alumni.shtml.

There’s no fee, and members are eligible for valuable benefits and services as a result of their investment in a SIAST education. There are SIAST grads the world over – you probably know some in your workplace or neighbourhood.

To establish your own local alumni branch or chapter, follow these steps:

1

Contact the Alumni Relations office at SIAST, alumni@siast.sk.ca, to express interest in developing a chapter or branch. The alumni coordinator will send you more information and act as liaison with your group to make sure it’s developing in accordance with SIAST policies and procedures.

2

Identify people who may be interested in taking a leadership role in developing the chapter, and recruit a volunteer team.

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Organize an initial event or meeting to attract potential members, provide information and recruit board members.

Elect a chapter executive: president, treasurer, secretary and two directorsat-large. Each chapter will host a minimum of one planning meeting annually.

Establish a list of goals and initiatives.

Provide activity updates to the SIAST Alumni Relations office.

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Build on Education

FUND

Make the most of your SIAST education by becoming a member of the Alumni Advisory Committee

“There’s never been a better time to join the Alumni Advisory Committee,” says SIAST’s alumni coordinator Mindy Herauf.

The committee comprises a group of passionate SIAST alumni who work to promote the involvement of graduates from years past in programs and activities that serve the needs and interests of alumni. “The committee plays an integral part in maintaining the SIAST community,” she says. “It helps build on the vibrancy of the school’s character.”

The communities SIAST serves can also play a vital role in alumni program development. “We welcome community involvement,” Herauf says, “and we are receptive to involving external supporters, both formally and informally.”

The reason for establishing any of the institution’s advisory committees is to provide a strong and effective link between SIAST and the many sectors and industries it serves in Saskatchewan.

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“The purpose of the SIAST Alumni Advisory Committee specifically,” Herauf says, “is to be a resource to the SIAST Alumni Relations office about the direction, policies and services which impact the SIAST alumni community.”

Herauf encourages interested alumni to get involved in the advisory committee. “It’s a way to make a difference,” she says, “and it lets alumni continue to build on their already strong SIAST education.”

If you’re interested in getting involved as an Alumni Advisory Committee member, visit www.goSIAST.com/alumni, contact alumni@siast.sk.ca or call 306-775-7358.

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grow a future

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start today!

All donations will be matched through the Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunity program. So, even a modest donation can make a big difference to a SIAST student.

For additional information on the Growing Student Futures Fund or to contribute to SIAST Alumni Scholarships and Bursaries, please contact: Tawnia Stephanson (306) 691-8226 (Moose Jaw) stephansont@siast.sk.ca

n YES! I want to grow futures for SIAST students!

My gift amount: n $50

n $75

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$_______________ (other)

Name: ____________________________________________________________ Company name (if applicable): ___________________________________

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Address: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Help a student

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City: ______________________________________ Province: ______________________________________ Postal code: __________________________ FUND

FUND

Phone: _____________________________________ Email: ____________________________________________________________________________ Name to appear on charitable receipt: _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Payment method:

n Visa

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n Cash

n Cheque (make cheques payable to SIAST)

Card number: ____________________________________________ Exp. date: ________/________ Security code: ________ (last three digits on back of card) Name of cardholder: _____________________________________________ Signature of cardholder: _____________________________________________

n Please include me in SIAST’s donor recognition program n Please send me information about other ways I can support SIAST students n I am a SIAST grad. Please add me to your alumni database

n I would like to remain anonymous n Please send me information about how I can make a planned gift

SIAST ID or birth date: ______________________________________________________ SIAST campus: _________________________________________ Program: ___________________________________________________________________________ Year of graduation: ___________________________ Send to: Donor and Alumni Relations, SIAST Administrative Offices, 400 - 119 4th Avenue South, Saskatoon, SK S7K 5X2

An Alumni Three-Pack

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Three SIAST alumni are at work in careers that are especially suited to their skills. Their profiles are divergent in terms of decade of graduation and work experience, but the three are united in that they found an educational path that worked. Now their employers, clients and communities are benefiting.

COUNT ON HIM: Leland Kreklewich found a job that makes the most of his skills and education.

GREAT WITH NUMBERS:

Structure and routine are important to Leland Kreklewich.

Affected by autism spectrum disorder, Kreklewich found that small class sizes, clear expectations and approachable instructors at SIAST Palliser Campus worked well for him. He graduated in 2006 with an 89 percent average from his twoyear accounting program. Kreklewich participated in an eightmonth co-op work term with the accounting firm MNP LLP. “I was offered a job with them after finishing school,” he says.

“Based on the good reviews I received from my employer, I was named Co-op Student of the Year for 2005.”

Today, he has a condo in Saskatoon and he’s a senior accountant with MNP – a company that, he says, provides the work life that leverages his talents, namely a good memory, strong analytical skills and good accounting and auditing skills. Kreklewich works on a variety of files, helping clients do their bookkeeping, and travelling to undertake audits for others. “There are 120 people in my office and 10 or 12 in my department,” he says. “I collaborate with colleagues and oversee junior staff on bigger jobs.”

Kreklewich is currently undertaking distance education with Laurentian University. “It’s another option that offers a different route to a university degree and a CGA (chartered general accountant designation),” he says. “I’d like to build on my success at SIAST.”

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HARD WORKER:

“I knew that hard work would pay off,” says Terry Parchewsky (Business Accountancy ’96). He worked at a golf course for a year after high school, before starting coursework at SIAST Palliser Campus in 1994, where he also played competitive basketball. Then he made the decision to roll up his sleeves and concentrate on landing a job that would let him learn as much as he could about accounting, rather than pursuing the bestpaying entry-level job out there. Parchewsky had always had that practical, hands-on way of getting things done when it came to his education and career.

“I found a four-month summer job that taught me a lot,” Parchewsky says, “and that led me to a job with a small Saskatoon CA firm, Lorne Horning Chartered Accountants. I thought it was a three-month job, but it turned into a permanent position.”

He worked at the firm for 14 years, travelling Western Canada working with businesses and First Nations bands, eventually garnering a management position.

“I always made a point to hire SIAST students for our summer positions,” he says. “Four of them came back full time and the summer students felt they learned valuable knowledge; gaining experience in a small office has helped them down the road. I have changed some lives; it’s a great feeling.”

With Lorne Horning CA, Parchewsky flew to Vancouver every three months to work with one of the larger clients, Famous Wok Inc./Umi Sushi Express Inc. That business was

growing beyond what Parchewsky could do on his quarterly visits and, when the Famous Wok made an offer, Parchewsky moved to Vancouver to become its chief financial officer.

Parchewsky’s heart remains in Saskatchewan. He recently donated money to SIAST for a scholarship in his name, with the criteria resting 60 percent on grades and 40 percent on community involvement.

“The money will do more in Saskatchewan than Vancouver,” he says. “And I always thought one day I might come back and be an instructor at SIAST Palliser Campus. You never know.”

PARCHEWSKY’S HEART REMAINS IN SASKATCHEWAN. HE RECENTLY DONATED MONEY TO SIAST FOR A SCHOLARSHIP.

STAR FACILITATOR:

A graduate of Recreational Technology (’85), Marcel Starr is an education coordinator who works with students from kindergarten to post-secondary at the Star Blanket Cree Nation. Every year – and every day – brings new things. He has to imagine every possible impediment to education and work with students to overcome them.

One day might see Starr helping secondary students apply for spots in post-secondary schools, helping them navigate the complexities of applying for funding, and helping them secure tuition or a living allowance. “And I try to keep in contact with

the students,” he says, “by phone, text, or whatever works best.”

Starr says that students’ chances of educational success are impacted by the support they receive from parents and the community. He frequently finds himself meeting with other educational coordinators, discussing general issues and specific students, tackling subjects such as absenteeism. “I talk with students and often I end up doing some counselling,” Starr says.

But meeting students and parents is the best part of his job, he says. “Sometimes the parents of school-aged kids are postsecondary students, too.”

His position as an education coordinator is one that his Recreational Technology diploma prepared him for, though he never imagined it at the time. “In rec tech, we learned how to organize, and how to make classroom plans,” he says. Still involved in sports – at 56 and a grandfather – he’s even playing a little shinny ball hockey now and then.

STARR SAYS THAT STUDENTS’ CHANCES OF EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS ARE IMPACTED BY THE SUPPORT THEY RECEIVE FROM FAMILY AND COMMUNITY.

SIAST employees change the world – their own and the community around them.

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The New Socialites S

ocial media – that’s for fun, right? You’ve wasted hours on YouTube, and you’ve found old classmates on Facebook with your personal account. But your contacts are telling you to set up a Facebook page and Twitter account for your business, too.

Rayelle Sather, 22, isn’t a typical Millennial, who grew up thumb-texting rather than holding a pen. A SIAST student about to graduate with a marketing diploma, she didn’t explore social media until she dove right in during a oneyear internship. “I was a Saskatchewan farm girl with dial-up internet access,” the Duval native explains. “But I was keen to learn, so when I found a company looking for a social media intern, I jumped at the chance.”

Impressed by her enthusiasm, CAA Saskatchewan asked Sather to introduce its staff to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Foursquare to see what worked in operations ranging from travel to tow trucks. Sather, who’ll return to the CAA as its social media coordinator upon graduation, offers tips on the business benefits of social media.

1

Get your feet wet.

Even if you won’t directly oversee your company’s social media efforts, it’s important to have a basic understanding. “I set myself up on personal accounts for first-hand experience,” says Sather. “You’ll gain insight into topics discussed, online etiquette and the speed of communication.”

+ BONUS TIP: “Like” or “follow” the Facebook and Twitter

2

accounts of SIAST and of major corporations to learn by example.

Create written guidelines.

Social media is the Wild West of communications, where the line blurs between public and private, and legal grey areas abound, so set boundaries and articulate expectations before launching your company’s online network. Sather advises you check the efforts of other companies. “Most have written policies for internet use. I looked at those and adapted them for CAA.”

Sather adds that everything you post is public, and every post can be shared beyond your privacy settings.

“Delete a post, but it still exists on someone’s server,” she says. “So be credible. Don’t post unless you’re sure of your facts.”

It’s time for your organization to tap social media to support business operations. Here are some tips to get you started

+ BONUS

3 4

TIP: Check out socialmediagovernance.com, an online database (created by American social media guru Chris Boudreaux) of companies’ media policies, searchable by industry.

5

Social media marketing is still marketing.

“Strategize your objectives before diving in. You still have to think about target markets,” Sather says. For example, CAA found Foursquare didn’t work well in Saskatchewan since very few people use it to “check-in” at public locations. Facebook, however, was a hit with travel agents. They can share photos of recent travels, travel tips and deals, which sparks client interest and establishes credibility. Road services staff found Twitter was perfect for broadcasting road conditions.

Put someone in charge. Unlike traditional media,

social media is real-time, two-way communication. And someone needs to oversee the constant chatter, so designate an administrator. “Posts go live at the CAA site so, as administrator, whenever I see posts about problems I alert appropriate staff. It’s better to show people, out in the open, how you solve problems than try to delete posts later.”

Monitor and keep learning.

The CAA uses software made by Radian6 to track mentions of its products and services. “There’s a fee, but the tool provides analytics and metrics as well as live feedback,” Sather says. A Twitter analysis led her to create two distinct feeds: Last Minute Deals for travel sell-offs, and News & Notes for road conditions and member contests.

She suggests companies can test targeted Facebook ads and consider paying for LinkedIn job postings.

+ B ONUS

TIP: “Subscribe to Social Media Examiner’s blog,” Sather says. “I read it daily, and I’m still learning.”

Connect with

facebook.com/SIAST twitter.com/SIAST youtube.com/SIASTtv

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BUSINESS & INDUSTRY DINNERS

Connect Over Dinner SIAST’s signature event creates a meeting point for students, faculty and business leaders

L

ate in the afternoon on a Thursday in March, Pam McLellan surveyed the ballroom at Regina’s Hotel Saskatchewan. Cutlery gleamed and glassware sparkled at round tables that would soon accommodate eight or 10 people. The room was decked out for a feast, with hotel staff on site attending to last-minute touches. Looking around with satisfaction, McLellan, director of Donor and Alumni Relations at SIAST, knew everything would be perfect at the 300-guest Business and Industry Dinner, connecting SIAST Wascana Campus’ almost-graduates with Regina’s business leaders, many of them SIAST alumni themselves.

The yearly dinner has evolved into SIAST’s signature event, an

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important fundraiser as well as an evening of note in the social calendar of many of the city’s movers and shakers. In fact, there are four such dinners every spring, one hosted by each campus.

At all four locations combined, 1,495 business leaders and students connected this year, a 51 percent increase since 2008.

The Business and Industry Dinners have become one of SIAST’s most noteworthy efforts toward putting its education into practice.

SIAST is all about the practical side of knowledge. The institute’s focus on the application of skills starts at the top, with industry partners identifying labour shortfalls or gaps in skills and proposing new courses and programs. Industry input

continues through student programming and into the practicums, clinicals, coop education programs and work placements, culminating with the dinner.

“The dinners are a great example of what SIAST does well,” says McLellan.

“They serve to connect employers with the employees they’ll need.”

The tradition started 30 years ago at what’s now SIAST Palliser Campus in Moose Jaw. Dinners at the other campuses have been going for five or more years. It works like this: Coordinators at the office of Donor and Alumni Relations “ask business and industry partners who have purchased tickets to identify the program areas that are of interest to them,” explains McLellan.

“Then coordinators recruit students from those and similar programs to sit with them.” So, managers from a metal fabrication company, for example, might find themselves seated with students in pre-welding, CAD/CAM or human resources, depending on the skills they have identified as the ones their business needs. This year, the dinners saw 175 companies represented, SIAST-wide.

“It’s a lesson in networking, business etiquette and taking the first steps toward identifying prospective employers,” McLellan says. This year, 235 students were sponsored by industry to attend.

“I attended the Business and Industry Dinners when I was a student – they were excellent networking opportunities,” says Amanda Hussey, office administrator at SIAST. “In my final year, I was introduced to the district vice president of the Bank of Montreal. I’d had my first interview with BMO a few weeks before, and that dinner sealed the position for me. I began working with the Bank of Montreal as a financial services manager the week following graduation.”

The dinners are also a chance for award recipients to acknowledge donors for their support, she says “and it’s a great place to do it, considering the net proceeds from the events go to supporting student bursaries and awards.”

As well as being the first networking event for many students, the dinner also showcases alumni and keynote THE YEARLY speakers. Each campus featured its own alumni speaker, DINNER HAS and this year outgoing SIAST president and CEO Dr. EVOLVED Bob McCulloch presented the inspiring keynote address INTO SIAST’S at all four dinners. “At the SIAST Wascana dinner, Leon SIGNATURE Friesen, CEO of the Westridge Group of Companies EVENT, AN and a SIAST alumnus, gave a powerful presentation,” IMPORTANT McLellan says. The events continue to grow every FUNDRAISER year, currently raising upwards of $250,000 to support AS WELL AS A students and programs at SIAST. SOCIAL EVENING SIAST maintains a roster of industry advisors who OF NOTE. guide its programming and keep it flexible and current.

At the Business and Industry Dinners, business leaders get to see their advice in action, meeting grads who are among the best-equipped for their companies’ current and future needs.

BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY DINNERS, BY THE NUMBERS

1,495: The number of guests in attendance 1st: This year set an attendance record $250,000: The amount raised at the dinners for

scholarships and bursaries for the coming academic year

235: The number of students that industry partners sponsored to attend the banquets

175: The number of companies represented at the banquets Nearly 100: The percentage of guests who came away enlightened, employed, full or happy

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Local Hero

A 10-year instructor and alumnus shows students how to incorporate social responsibility into their studies and careers

I

t’s a testament to Reg Forbes’ success that he’s able to step back from his responsibilities at Global Students Helping Students (GSHS). Forbes is a SIAST alumnus and a 10year instructor in the Architecture and Building Technologies program. He started GSHS four years ago to help build schools for displaced Burmese people in Thailand. This year, new SIAST alumni who worked with Forbes as students in past years are running the program.

The genesis of the group came a few years ago, when Forbes was listening to his radio. There was a story about a Burmese man living in Prince Albert who’d been robbed. Forbes was moved to help, but the man didn’t want to be personally reimbursed. Instead he directed people to donate to a nongovernmental organization called Global Neighbours, which was trying to raise funds to help migrant Burmese. Many belonged to Muslim or Karen minorities that had been driven out and were living in the Thai borderlands. Forbes approached the group with an idea to help.

“We were impressed with Reg’s generosity,” says Global Neighbours board member Erin Yeo. “He’s an instructor who clearly has a great affection for young people.” A school construction project was a natural fit.

With the help of SIAST staff and students, Forbes established Global Students Helping Students, and liaised with Global Neighbours, which agreed to facilitate GSHS’s work in Thailand. Under the auspices of GSHS, Forbes and

SIAST students in the Architecture and Building Technologies program raised $15,000 that first year. It was enough to build a school called New Light. Forbes and his groups raised the same amount for each of the following two years.

In late 2011, the third group went to Thailand. Renea Cave was one of eight SIAST students to go. She was motivated to go after hearing about the plight of the Burmese migrants driven from their homes by the current military government. “It was shocking to hear what some people went through,” she says.

“They had some devastating experiences.”

The students helped build a dining hall at a school and worked on a teacher preparation centre. They also brought packages that included basic hygiene, food and clothing items with them. Forbes’ initiative provides assistance to communities in Thailand, but in the process gives Saskatchewan students like Cave valuable educational opportunities.

“It’s important to teach students that they can use their skills and compassion to help each other and to help others,” Forbes says. “I want them to consider themselves citizens of the world.”

And it’s a lesson they’ve learned. Forbes didn’t travel with the most recent group, instead letting two new SIAST alumni, Stephanie Hildebrand and Tarren Saleski, run the show.

Forbes’ efforts can be felt closer to home, too. “This fall, 85 students volunteered for Habitat for Humanity,” Forbes says.

They helped build a house for a family of refugees from Burma.

On the horizon, students will work with Camp Easter Seal to

The Grapevine

BACK HOME: Amanda Hussey is a SIAST alumna and employee.

Amanda Hussey, Business Specialty: Financial Services (Palliser ‘11): >> After completing high school and a year of university, SIAST became my choice for an education. I started at SIAST Wascana Campus taking the Office Education certificate program, then continued on to the Business certificate and Financial Services diploma programs through SIAST Palliser Campus. There was much to love about SIAST – the small classes, the personal attention from instructors and the great people with whom I quickly became friends.

I began working with the Bank of Montreal as a financial services manager the week following graduation. SIAST set me up perfectly with the skills and abilities I needed to excel in the banking industry.

After realizing that a career in a sales position wasn’t for me, I considered going back to school, but kept looking for a job in the meantime. I was fortunate to find a position as office assistant with SIAST in the Donor and Alumni Relations office at SIAST Wascana Campus. I jumped at this

build a tree house at the camp site in Manitou Lake, accessible to kids with disabilities.

The Habitat home and the tree house’s most obvious beneficiaries are their occupants and users, but the projects align with the principles that Forbes encourages his students to keep top-of-mind.

“A building and interior should be functional,” he says.

“People should be able to use all parts of it. You can use as many green products as you like, but if it’s not durable and affordable, it’s not effective.”

In 2005, Forbes applied for a $3,000 applied research grant to install energy efficiency products in lower-income homes.

After initial success, Forbes approached SaskEnergy and the Salvation Army, who partnered in the project, dubbed Share the Warmth. Students would take $200 worth of products and retrofit homes of lower income applicants who wanted to realize some home energy savings as well as lower their environmental impact. Free of charge, Forbes’s students installed compact florescent bulbs, caulking, plastic sheeting, low-flow adapters for toilets and showers and programmable thermostats. During the time the project ran, more than 5,000 homes in Saskatchewan benefitted.

FORBES AND STUDENTS HAVE RAISED MORE THAN $45,000 IN THREE YEARS TO BUILD SCHOOLS FOR MIGRANT BURMESE PEOPLE LIVING ALONG THE THAI BORDER. Other projects include work on a community garden in Moose Jaw and the creation of a green roof in the garden outbuilding that provides a natural insulation for the building below and actually grows vegetation, decreasing pollutants in the air, reducing water runoff and protecting the roofing underneath.

Forbes, an alumnus who completed his journeyman apprenticeship training in carpentry at SIAST, asks his students to apply social responsibility to their studies and, later, to their careers.

“I find them very accepting,” he says. “They’ve proven their eagerness to help.” opportunity. I loved the atmosphere at SIAST as a student and was confident I would love it as an employee as well.

I have so much gratitude for the staff and faculty at SIAST. I would never have gotten to where I am today without their continued assistance. I am confident in the knowledge I gained through my three years as a student and am excited to continue learning through SIAST for years to come.

Lynda Dyck, Diploma Nursing (Kelsey ’70) >> I lived near Borden, Saskatchewan, from 1972 to 2009 working in the local hospital, home care, health centre and then set up and managed the community-owned Personal Care Home. In fall 2007 I started working at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon at the Hemodialysis Unit and still work at Borden Health Centre as well.

I’m a mother of three and a proud grandma of six. I enjoy travelling, reading, spending time at the lake and having fun with my grandkids.

Reuniting with a nursing classmate several years ago has been a joy, and we enjoy visits back and forth between here and Montreal.

TRADING ON HOPE: Reg Forbes, Architecture and Building Tech.

Instructor, has mentored student leaders to take over a charitable building initiative in Thailand.

Cameron McDonald, Heavy Duty Repair (Kelsey ’79) >> After graduation I worked in Saskatoon for a couple of years, then in the oil patch as a field mechanic for several different companies, settling with Bertram Drilling in 1983. I’ve worked all over Canada, the USA and three years in Russia. I held positions as mechanic, drill push, field supervisor and now as safety advisor/supervisor. My wife Christine and I have two boys, Brodie, 18, and Jayden, 15. Brodie will attend SIAST Kelsey Campus this fall in Carpentry.

Gayle Penner, Diploma Nursing (Kelsey ’92) >> I worked as a RN in the neonatal intensive care unit, then labour and delivery and post partum. I went on to home care, worked on a degree, and now I’m an assistant director of care at Oliver Lodge and loving it. While doing all this nursing, I married my high school sweetheart and had four children.

Krista Halayka, Accounting (Palliser ’95) >> After grad, I started an eight-month work term with the Ministry of Finance in Regina, and I’ve been there since. I got married in 2002 and built a home the following year, the same year I

Call Home

Are you a SIAST grad?

We want to hear what you’ve been up to:

goSIAST.com/ alumni

obtained my CMA. We spend summers at Good Spirit Lake with our two children. I’d love to hear from old SIAST friends.

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A Deeper Green There are many gains you can make on the road to improving the environmental sustainability of your home

C

rystal Bueckert (Architecture and Building Technologies ’08) doesn’t need a business card. Her best advertising is her house. An architectural technologist with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, Bueckert has a keen interest in green technologies and products. She designed her home with the greenest available technology in mind.

She and her husband, fine artist Martin Bennett, bought a tiny (30-by-60 foot) infill lot in Saskatoon’s Caswell Hill neighbourhood. They set about designing a house that would fit in with historic sensibilities of the area, make the most of the unusual lot size and serve as both home and studio to the pair.

“The house has 1,976 square feet,” she says. “Of that, 1,300 is living space and the rest is studio space.”

Appealing from any angle, the house has garnered attention.

“People always want to see it,” she says. “We started showing it when it was still in construction.” The house is environmentally sustainable in a number of other measures, from its cork floors to its green roof and solar panels. Bueckert designed and built the infill house from scratch but, with her company, BLDG STUDIO INC., her professional mainstay is green renovations.

“People are interested in making sure that their home is more efficient,” she says. And, when you’re renovating, you can make many green gains. At right, Bueckert offers a few ideas, some that you can act on today and others you can save for a more extensive reno or repair.

Jason Clapper, Integrated Resource Management (Woodland ’00) >> I am an adventure guide in northern Saskatchewan.

I have two children, and I own a couple properties. I travel to Costa Rica a lot.

Kim Balog, NEPS (Wascana, ’06) >> Thank you SIAST! Working as a RN in rural Saskatchewan has been the most satisfying career choice I have made. It will be five years since graduation – where does the time fly? Thank you for keeping us connected in the SIAST family.

Gloria Edstrom, LPN Re-entry (Kelsey ’07) >> I have been battling cancer and WON!

Desiree Marotte, ABE 12 (Kelsey ’07) >> Since leaving SIAST after graduating Adult 12, I worked in retail as a manager for a few years before having my first child. I decided I needed more than a retail job to provide both financially and as a role model for my daughter.

I enrolled at McKay Career Training and began the Graphic Design/New Media Productions program September 2010. I am three months from receiving my diploma among the top in my class, and I have already started doing

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Reconsider the lighting.

2

Don’t flush the savings.

3

Don’t waste heat.

Difficulty: easy

With electricity costs spiking, it makes sense to switch your light bulbs. Compact fluorescent lights can cost three times what regular incandescent bulbs cost. LED lights can cost 10 times as much. Don’t let sticker shock rattle you.

Running (and replacing) an incandescent can cost six to 10 times the operating cost of a single LED.

Difficulty: easy

Right now, you can install low-flow fixtures.

New showerheads and a dual-flush toilet reduce your water use significantly. When it’s time to replace your appliances, a high efficiency EnergyStar washer and dryer use less water and power.

Difficulty: easy

You paid to heat the water and the air in your home – why are you letting the warmth escape? Insulate your water heater with readily available covers and insulate your water pipes, too. Go a step further by installing heat recovery units on your drains and dryer exhaust. Seal all the duct work while you’re at it, and install a programmable thermostat that never forgets to turn down the heat.

freelance contract work under the name Semiotics Design & Web, which I eventually plan on turning into my own business. I am very passionate about what I do, and I am also driven to become successful. I am thankful for the time I spent at SIAST finishing my Grade 12, allowing me to get where I am today and where I am going tomorrow.

Ashley McBride-Hickey, Office Education (Wascana ’08) >> I am a person with a physical disability. I have a mild form of cerebral palsy. I’m trying to get valuable volunteer work that will lead to a paid job.

I’m involved in events with the Canadian Paraplegic Association. I am also involved with South Saskatchewan Independent Living Centre. I am currently updating my skills and getting more involved in the community.

Greg Linka, Electronics Systems Engineering Technology (Kelsey ’10) >> My current employment is a direct result of my education. I was working at Moody’s part-time while I finished my second year at SIAST Kelsey Campus. They caught wind of my up-coming graduation, and 10 days later, I was employed as a product

specialist. Now, I steer tractors and heavy farm equipment with radio waves from outer space – GPS guidance for farm equipment.

There’s a certain satisfaction that comes with controlling an 18-foot wide, 50,000-pound vehicle to sub-inch accuracy, and it’s all done electronically. It’s relatively new technology and is a very large business in Saskatchewan.

Thanks SIAST Kelsey Campus!

Rheann LaClare, Marketing /Admin (Palliser ’97) >> I’m in my 15th year with SGI. I have been all over the province working in the insurance industry and had the opportunity to move back home. When I started my career with SGI, I also started work toward my Certified Insurance Professional Designation (CIP) with the Insurance Institute of Canada. I am now working on my fellowship with the Insurance Institute, where I was able to use transfer credits from my Marketing and Admin courses. I think it’s an amazing opportunity for current students to get this education through SIAST. Joshua Slack, Instrumentation Tech (Palliser ’07) >> I’ve been with Spartan Controls since November 2007 as a field service tech. My job

4

Opt for greener touches when it comes to the kitchen.

Difficulty: easy to moderate

Once you’ve bagged the easy game on the way to greening your house, plan for the bigger trophies. Crystal Bueckert suggests topping existing countertops with a granite veneer instead of consigning the lot to the landfill.

If you’re painting, opt for a non-toxic, non-VOC paint and look to linoleum instead of vinyl flooring. Plentiful bamboo has the look and durability of hardwood for cupboards or floors.

6

5

How does your garden grow?

Difficulty: easy to moderate

Revamp your garden and stock it with native plants and their cultivated cousins. With a little seasonal care, your yard could soon be low-maintenance. Install rainwater collection barrels for watering time, and keep a composter on hand to divert fruit, veggie and garden scraps from the landfill, making your own fertilizer while you’re at it.

Look outwards.

Difficulty: moderate

If you’re undertaking a big renovation that includes siding, “add a layer of 1.5-inch rigid insulation, then put siding on top,” Bueckert says. “If you’re installing windows, choose triple-paned, low-E argon gas-filled ones.”

These are expensive but will keep the heat in.

“And when it’s time for new shingles, choose a lighter shade,” Bueckert says. “Your roof won’t heat up as much.”

involves programming, commissioning and design of the DeltaV control system. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. I’ve been very lucky in my career. SIAST gave me the building blocks to get there.

Jessica Rideout, Biotechnology (Kelsey ’10) >> I got a job in the rewarding field of cancer research immediately after graduating. My job position was meant to be filled by a BSc graduate, but with my experience from my practicum and labs I was more qualified for the job than the other applicants. I’m glad I went to SIAST, it gave me the hands-on experience that allowed me to feel confident in my field.

Andrea Brainiff, Dental Assistant (Wascana ’04) >> I started working right out of school in the dental field and haven’t looked back. I married in 2007 and have had two beautiful children. I’ve been with the same office for the last six years and wouldn’t have it any other way. I love my job. Thanks SIAST.

James Kornelson, Hotel and Restaurant Admin/Business Admin (Kelsey, ’99/Palliser ’08) >> Did some travelling in 2010 in Haida Gwaii, Morocco, New Zealand and South

Africa. I got married in April 2012.

Colin Munro, Data Processing (Palliser ’81) >> I’m married with two kids. I spent my career with Co-operators, Sask Wheat Pool (Viterra), independant IT consultant and finally the Saskatchewan Department of Learning. I retired from IT in 2009 and bought a farm just outside Regina, set up a construction and excavation company, doing all the things I wanted to do when I was making a living and didn’t have time. Life is good!

Julie Adams, Office Education (Wascana ’11) >> I cannot speak highly enough of SIAST. I started off at the University of Regina and it just wasn’t for me. I decided to give SIAST a chance and I have never regretted it.

Right after I graduated I got a job with Farm Credit Canada, I worked there for a year and then moved back to Regina where I got a job as a legal assistant at a law firm. Because of the extensive training I received while at SIAST I have impressed my employers with my knowledge of computer programs. Thanks SIAST for all your hard work, I now have a job that I absolutely love.

7

Go solar.

Difficulty: it depends

“If you have a boiler/radiator, solar panels are perfect – they’re easy to tie in,” Bueckert says. “Solar is no longer considered ‘that European thing.’” Panels are also effective heat gatherers when they’re installed on a wall, which can be an easier undertaking than on a sloped roof.

Lyle Olson, Retail Meat Specialist (Kelsey ’10) >> I am part owner and meat processor of Cool Springs Ranch. We raise all our animals naturally and process and market them through our online store: www.coolspringsranch.ca.

Mark Peterson, Media Arts Production (Woodland ’11) >> I’m working as a freelancer right now with Shaw TV. I also do some work shooting video and editing stuff for a local hip hop group called Fresh City.

Their first video, Fastlane, is out on YouTube.

I shot and edited it for them: http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=ScC1V1nLhBM.

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BIG ON +BUSINESS A METAL FABRICATION COMPANY SETS ITSELF APART WITH HARD WORK AND CREATIVE THINKING

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FEATURED EMPLOYER

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n 1975, Jim Nowakowski had an inkling that he was onto something good when he graduated from pre-employment welding at Kelsey Institute (now SIAST Kelsey Campus). But he didn’t know then how far he would go. Thirty-odd years later he found himself – an industry leader – in front of a crowd at one of SIAST’s Business and Industry Dinners.

“There were 440 people there,” he says. “I asked myself, ‘who’s in the audience?’ I figured there were a bunch of guys like me and that, to them, I’d be preaching to the choir. I decided instead to focus on the students in the crowd.”

His message to the students, he says, was not to be fooled into thinking that a skills-based technical education precluded creativity in business and life. He told them that, contrary to what they might have heard, the divide between thinkers and workers is artificial. While it’s true that SIAST aims to produce jobready graduates adept with practical skills, Nowakowski advised the students in the crowd to get past the stereotypes. “We are also the supervisors,” he told them, “the entrepreneurs and the innovators.” Nowakowski has lived that advice – demonstrating it with his own leadership at his company, JNE Welding.

He is slim and – post-secondary banquets aside – he’s often found in jeans and a JNE cap. Wire-rimmed glasses frame his dark eyes, giving him a slightly serious look. He is a measured speaker with an affable manner and an easy chuckle. It was that thoughtful, easy way of talking that held the crowd’s attention at Saskatoon’s TCU Place in March. He told them about JNE’s journey into becoming an industry leader.

In 1980, when Nowakowski was just 24, he left a job and struck out on his own, eager to make his mark and not afraid of hard work. “I was raised on the farm; I’ve been working since I was six,” Nowakowski says, and lets loose a laugh. “My brother says I changed my own diapers.”

By April 1981, he had three employees. In 1982 it was six.

While the company grew, Nowakowski struggled to keep pace.

“I had so much to learn on the business side,” he says. “It was 10 years of a big learning curve. I’d just catch up, and it would grow again.” But he has never stopped trying to keep up. “The growth of any company is only capped by the people who run it.”

The key, he says, was “to recognize that the wheel had already been invented. I needed to hire the right people.” That push was in effect from management to the shop floor, where he continued hiring and promoting SIAST grads from the Pre-employment Welding program and the CAD/CAM Engineering Technology program. “SIAST puts out people who have a consistently strong work ethic and have the desire to excel. These are the people we need.”

Continued on next page >>

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Along with the right staff, some “painful catalysts” have likewise helped build the business. Facing roadblocks such as Y2K, SARS, 9-11 and the economic downturn three years ago have seen him refocus his energies from concentrating too heavily on the oil sands of Northern Alberta to diversifying and owning his own backyard: Saskatchewan’s potash, uranium and other heavy industry. While JNE expanded its industrial base, it also developed a fabrication niche that makes it the go-to manufacturing spot for a variety of industries: simply, Nowakowski decided to go big.

“We specialize in large, oversize items that other companies simply don’t have the facilities or experience to make,” he says. JNE creates the largest structures that can be moved on roads. Think industrial feed tanks, power transmission poles, even an air traffic control tower. “And we can manufacture higher-end stainless steel and alloys. JNE is a leader in both areas.” These measures, plus achieving ISO certification, demonstrate JNE’s sophistication and cement its position as a creative leader in industry.

“We are passionate about what we do,” Nowakowski says.

Passion, sure, but JNE’s success also rests on a sound background of innovative thinking.

Winning Grads 2012

>> Maxine Poorman is a student in the two-year Practical

Nursing diploma program at the Kawacatoose First Nation Training Facility. The main liaison between the Kawacatoose students and the band council, Maxine received the Outstanding Citizenship Award at SIAST Wascana Campus.

>> R oxanne

Perrault, a Medical Laboratory Technology student, received the Student Innovation Award thanks to her analysis of bacterial mechanisms of resistance.

>> L ise

Schultz was a key organizer behind bringing the Canadian Nursing Student Association Annual Conference to Saskatoon. She received the SIAST Kelsey Campus Outstanding Citizenship Award.

Skills Canada

REALLY BIG STORY FORWARD THINKERS: By building expertise in outsize manufacturing, skill in welding high-end alloys and hiring and developing top drafting and other talent, JNE Welding has positioned itself for success.

PRODUCTS: Among other things, JNE Welding fabricates process tanks, rotary dryers, belt conveyors, drag conveyors, bucket elevators and bag houses.

The company serves the potash and uranium industries with pipe spooling, pressure vessels and other custom fabrications. JNE also deals with alloys such as 316, 904L, 2205, Inconel, Monel and C276.

STRONG WORKFORCE: More than 20 of JNE’s 150 employees are SIAST alumni.

TOP DOLLARS: JNE’s annual sales have exceeded $30 million.

MORE ABOUT JNE: www.jnewelding.com

>> R yan

Andrews, president of the the Students’ Association, SIAST Palliser Campus, is a strong advocate for students. A Human Resources program grad, Ryan received the SIAST Palliser Campus Outstanding Citizenship Award.

>> J amie Gondek took pleasure in assisting the diverse classmates in her program. Her enthusiasm created a positive environment. Jamie received the SIAST Woodland Campus Outstanding Citizenship Award.

>> L isa

Shirley, Youth Care Worker diploma student, volunteers with the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada program and the student association. She has facilitated students’ access to tutors, financial resources and exercise facilities. She received an Outstanding Citizenship Award at SIAST Kelsey Campus.

Hoping to follow up on a strong showing in the 2011 national Skills Canada competition, in which Saskatchewan competitors took home a dozen medals, students were gathering at press time to participate in the 2012 provincial competition in preparation for nationals in Edmonton. The 14th annual Skills Canada (Saskatchewan) competition had students meeting at SIAST Wascana Campus and local Regina high schools to compete in fields including robotics, animation, plumbing, masonry and many more, fanning the interest of Saskatchewan’s young people in trades and technology.

Last Word Times of Change It’s been a great decade to helm SIAST, leverage its past and nurture its future

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have said it before – change is the momentum that drives us forward. Nowhere is that more evident than at SIAST. The organization has navigated the changes happening in Saskatchewan, keeping its programming responsive and progressive. Our courses continue to emphasize relevant, employable skills. We understand industry and equip grads to staff and build business. Responsive, yes, but more than that, our grads are themselves the drivers of momentum in the economy, health, education and more.

It has been my pleasure to helm SIAST as its president and CEO since 2002. I have seen the organization through numerous changes and, when I look at SIAST today, I see a vibrant place that serves students from one corner of the province to the other.

We offer almost 160 programs across diverse industry sectors including business, agriculture, health and science, hospitality services, community services and basic education. We also provide training to apprentices in almost 30 trades. Our grads’ employment rate is 97 percent two years after graduation.

The changes I have seen in my tenure at SIAST have been many and gratifying. I am most proud of the fact that SIAST has seen annual increases in student numbers.

I believe this indicates the recognition of a SIAST technical education as a first-choice post-secondary option.

Any robust educational institution has had to maintain significant momentum to keep up with technological change in the last decade. We do it exceptionally well. The use of technology and refined pedagogy in SIAST classrooms serves students well. SIAST’s Instruction and Leadership Development Centre offers a number of programs and services to support faculty in our labs, shops and classrooms.

Institutions such as SIAST provide the technical education and skills training that drive economic growth. Over the next few years, demand for college graduates nationally will increase to 6.8 million compared with 4.8 million university grads. My advice to the incoming president and CEO is to re-double all efforts to garner support for the sector to make sure that everyone, from prospective students to leaders in government and industry, understands that well.

WHEN I LOOK AT SIAST TODAY, I SEE A VIBRANT PLACE THAT SERVES STUDENTS FROM ONE CORNER OF THE PROVINCE TO THE OTHER.

Dr. Robert McCulloch

As we ride the wave of change, we need to work to get industry more involved in supporting SIAST on all fronts. With 700 program advisors, SIAST has terrific input from industry on curriculum development. The challenge moving forward is to leverage those connections and build strong advocates.

Technical education serves a critical role in meeting the human capital needs of our province and country. To be part of a knowledge economy, Canadians need to understand, in practical terms, how to solve real-world problems and capture real-world opportunities. This is where SIAST stands apart.

I have talked here about serving industry and building the institution, but it is my past experience as an educator that informs my own management decisions. “Never forget the learner.” That’s the standard I’ve aspired to in my career. No matter how much we try to keep up with and drive change in education, our ultimate responsibility is to our students.

There it is again: change. It’s the defining aspect of life. After a long and satisfying career – 10 of the best years of it spent at SIAST – it’s time for me to retire. I can tell you now that what I’ll miss most about my job is the people: SIAST’s great staff, faculty and students have made the last decade fly by.

The demands on my time have been many and rewarding but, truly, I’m looking forward to staying home for five nights in a row! I want to be there, at the big life events, for all of my kids and grandkids. And then there’s my golf game. Let’s just say it needs a lot of work. But most of all, I look forward to waking up early to walk my grandchildren to school. Certainly they’ll be the drivers of change in the decades to come.

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What would you do with 26 extra long weekends?

Just like you know insurance is good for your car, home or business...

The insurance biz may be good for you, too!

Good pay. Good benefits. Good work/life balance.

SGI CANADA – It’s good employment.

It’s good insurance.

www.sgi.sk.ca/careers | www.sgicanada.ca