First Nations students from across the province are learning the resource tricks of the trade this week at Confederation College.
The 11 th annual First Nations Natural Resources Youth Employment Program started its science and technology portion of the six week course on Monday. 25 first year students and 7 second year students will learn skills in the forestry and mining sectors to help get them working in those areas. Confederation College forest management centre director Brian Kurikka said the goal of the program is to get First Nations students aged 17 to 20 to start thinking about post-secondary education and the opportunities available to them in the workforce.
"We’re giving them little snippets of courses and career opportunities that they could consider once they’ve completed high school," Kurikka said.
While living in residence, Kurikka said students will also get a taste of campus life while learning GPS skills, forestry management chainsaw skills to name a few. Mining is also a large component of the course load. Kurikka said students learn everything from prospecting to geophysical work.
"They get a good overview of the work," Kurika said. "They do a mine tour also."
With over 230 graduates, Kurika said some students have gone back to their communities to share their knowledge with community members. Josh Rognvaldson, 17, is in his second year of the program. He hopes to get on with the MNR and become a fire crew leader.
Rognvaldson said there aren’t many First Nations youth involved in resource management. He said taking the skills he’s learned back to Wauzhushk Onigum First Nation, near Kenora, is a possibility. ]
"Getting out there and showing them what to do gets them more interested in the jobs," he said. "I think if people took this knowledge and actually brought it back it would make the reserves do better."
Rognvaldson said he already used his skills back home after his first year in the program when he was hired to clear parkland near his community.
"I think I did make the right decision (entering the program) because it gave me a solid base for jobs," he said. "As soon as I was done my first year I got a lot of opportunities a lot of people wanted me to work."
