First Nations students on the North Island are going to get more opportunities for hands-on experience and learning skills that their communities need.
North Island College and its community partners are getting an 802,000 dollar grant to create courses that teach in-demand skills, all free of charge for students.
“Good workers who may not be able to afford a trade skill or who thought the trade in question was not for them, until they were exposed to it, can now flourish under this type of program,” says Rob MacNeill, who teaches one of these programs on industrial sewing in Campbell River.
“The partnerships between learning institutes and community businesses are extremely under-rated and under-utilized,” He adds. To date 12 of MacNeill’s students have gone on to find work or open businesses.
Director of Continuing Education and Contract Training at NIC Bob Haugen says that to build the courses they start by identifying what skills communities need and then the program is tailored to meet those needs.
The funding comes through a Community Workforce Response Grant that supports training people according to what types of labour a community needs.
