Hard work pays off for Apprentices

TheDepartment of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE), in partnership with the IRC, and Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, held a ceremony on February 13th at Ingamo Hall, to celebrate and recognize over 40 candidates with outstanding achievements in apprenticeship and occupational programs.

Inuvik Mayor Peter Clarkson gave out occupational Certification Awards, while Nellie Cournoyea, chair of the IRC, presented Beaufort Delta Special Awards, and Rory Voudrach, Industrial & Oil/Gas Training Coordinator from Aurora College awarded apprenticeship awards. Tom Williams, Chief Operating Officer of Gwich’in Tribal Council made closing notes in appreciation to employers for supplying opportunities for these apprentices.

Many of the award recipients could not participate in person because they were actually working. It is projected by ECE that there will be a million jobs waiting to be filled in trades over the next 20 years. Nellie said most of the award recipients “have already worked for quite a number of years, and it’s come to a time when we do recognize them and allow them to receive certification.” She says this is because “when you go forth to get a job, even though you

Delicious Satifaction

The menu had something to appeal to everyone, exquisitely roasted prime rib, honey garlic or crispy baked chicken, meat loaf with tomato basil sauce and a whole array of desserts; this feast marked the successful completion of six participants in Aurora College’s Kitchen Helper Program, taught by Tim Tigiglok. The graduates’ families and friends were invited to sample the student’s culinary skills at the end of their six-week course.

Adam Kaglik, Peter Meyook, Derrick Kowana, Bella Jean Stewart, Shoneen Furlong and Nellie C. Elanik said it required a certain amount of tenacity to complete the course. They made up the half of the class that did not give up. Adam was sponsored by the IRC and Aurora College. He came from Inuvik to attend the course, and had to stay with his brother and nephew in have done the work before, if you don’t have that piece of paper, sometimes it’s difficult to get there. And it generally means a few more dollars on your paycheck too.”

She also paid special tribute to Roland Kikoak from Tuktoyaktuk for his dedication to his career in environmental monitoring, despite the lack of jobs for his field due to weather conditions this year. The ILA also sent their congratulations for Roland through Nellie. They said, “Roland started his career in environment monitoring with the ILA in April 1993 by assisting in the establishing of an unmanned radar system within the ISR. He continues to be a diligent, conscientious, and reliable employee of ILA, and you are wished continued success in the future.”

There were many other similarly uplifting moments during this award ceremony. Rory Voudrach, Industrial & Oil/Gas training Coordinator at Aurora College, presented his brother, Robert (Tuktoyaktuk Housing Corporation) with an apprenticeship certificate. The room was filled with applause when Peter Nogasak from Tuktoyaktuk received his certificate of competence for his work as Community Works Foreman from Peter Clarkson. Peter Nogasak said, “I feel really happy and excited. I’ve worked six years for this certification, alternating between working and taking courses.” He likes how during training, he gets exposed to different ideas from people of various backgrounds, and encourages young people to “get all their education first”.

For more information on ECE’s programs for apprenticeship and occupations, go to this website http://www.ece.gov.nt.ca or visit their office in Inuvik!

Aklavik. “I enjoyed every minute of it. The skills I learnt - courtesy to customers and at the job site, first aid, how to avoid cross contamination - will be with me for a long time for sure.”

Before this course he worked in Calgary in janitorial services. He said, “To tell you the truth before this course I wasn’t into cooking at all. I usually let my father and sister and brother cook most of the time.” For him, cooking was a way to get a job at camps too.

Nellie Elanik wants to use this education to get a job in Inuvik. She said, “I’m feeling good, proud of myself.” She enjoys cooking for her family and as a career, and took this course as a refresher.

The students all say Derrick Kowana kept the rest of them going with his sense of humor. When Derrick has a little accident with the recipes, the class cracks up. “For my coffeecake, I forgot to put sugar in it. I had to take the cake out of the oven, remove the apples and try to stir the sugar back in.” He really enjoyed the course. We just come in in the morning and get the oven ready, get a pot of coffee going.” His family is probably going to make him cook more now, but he might soon be working at the oil camps as a kitchen helper.