Northwest Community College Connections

NWCC vehicle fleet gets critical addition thanks to donation

Ready to roll: NWCC Facilities and Maintenance Foreman Brian Coverdale with the newest addition to NWCC's vehicle fleet, the Emergency Transport Vehicle. The van, purchased with the donation from Callinex Mines, will support programming from the College's School of Exploration & Mining based out of Smithers.

TERRACE – Northwest Community College (NWCC) has used a generous donation from Callinex Mines to purchase an Emergency Transport Vehicle (ETV) that will support and enhance the mobile, field-based training offered by its Smithers-based School of Exploration & Mining (SEM).

"Northwest Community College's School of Exploration & Mining specializes in relevant, field-based training that replicates real work conditions and teaches skills needed by industry," said Tlell Glover, Project Administrator with SEM's Workforce Exploration Skills Training (WEST) program. "Replicating these field-based conditions means having all the health and safety nets that are standard practices in the industry. This donation is a huge boost to NWCC's abilities to offer field-based training for the minerals and natural resources industries."

Dave O'Leary, NWCC Vice President of Institutional Advancement, says the Callinex Mines donation toward the purchase of the ETV demonstrates the partnerships that have been created between NWCC SEM and industry.

"Strong relationships with industry ensure that SEM training remains nimble and reflects the changing needs of industry and communities," said O'Leary. "It also puts NWCC SEM in a unique position to provide students with a bridge between training and employment. Many industry partners recognize the strength of NWCC SEM graduates who are skilled to quickly and seamlessly transition into the workforce. It's a model for employment training that has been recognized nationally."

O'Leary adds Callinex Mines has been a strong supporter for NWCC SEM training, and has recently been recognized as one of four main sponsors for the purchase of NWCC SEMs mobile teaching lab, which will enable remote delivery of the drill core technician basic training course, among others.

Provincial and federal employment forecasts show the mining industry and its support activities will grow by 3.5 per cent a year with 12,600 new job openings in the sector between 2007 and 2017.

In partnership with Smithers Exploration Group and the Province of BC, SEM develops industry-related courses and programs, and offers training in various areas of mining and exploration. Since its inception in 2004, the school has graduated more than 850 students, and 83 percent of grads have either found work or returned to school.

Through workforce training for the exploration, mining and natural resource industries, Northwest Community College’s School of Exploration & Mining seeks to build capacity and engagement in communities involved with minerals exploration and other resource development.

NWCC pedals its share for BC Bike to Work Week

TERRACE – The results have rolled in and Northwest Community College (NWCC) put in a strong showing for the 2012 version of Bike to Work Week, a provincial initiative from Bike to Work BC.

NWCC was one of 32 teams to register in Terrace for the May 28 to June 3 event, one of three teams with 51 or more members (employees). The other categories had teams from groups or organizations of 21 to 51 members and 10 or fewer.

NWCC had 19 cyclists sign up and over the five weekdays of the event, those 19 cyclists went car-free for 45 of a possible 95 trips, totalling 167 car-free kilometres. The group that stood out above all the rest was the BC Timber Sales team calling themselves the Kispiox Gear Jammers. Just 31 team members logged an impressive 542.5 kilometres!

The total tally for Terrace was:

• Registered Teams 32
• Current Total Cyclists 125
• Current New Cyclists 29
• Total kms Cycled 3378.8

The local coordinator for Bike to Work Week was Chris Gee, an NWCC instructor in the Social Service Worker program.

Check ou the full team results for the Terrace Bike to Work Week event here.

Student success: focus on NWCC Field Schools

As the winter semester comes to an end and attention at Northwest Community College (NWCC) switches to the start of spring/summer semester offerings, nursing student Kim Latimer says students should really look at the unique series of field schools offered between now and September.

Latimer, who is finishing her second year of the Northern Collaborative Baccalaureate Nursing Program and transfers to UNBC this fall for third and fourth years, can't say enough about the hands-on learning experience she had in 2011 taking the Stewart/Telegraph Creek Field School.

"It was great," said Latimer. "You spend the first week in the class doing really interactive learning, then head up north for the last week to put the theory into practice. You get to stay in neat accommodations and see some pretty amazing landscapes. I'm not joking when I say we must have seen over 30 bears!"

The field school appealed to Latimer, a horse riding enthusiast who likes the outdoors and experiential learning. She says it offered a unique opportunity to visit Telegraph Creek.

"Telegraph Creek isn't a community you can visit on your own, you need to have permission from the people who reside there," said Latimer. "This was a unique opportunity to explore the Tahltan culture and territory."

And when you consider she earned six credits towards her nursing program—an anthropology credit, which was used as her First Nations focus elective and a geology credit satisfying her 200-level elective—you can see why she'd encourage others to do the same.

Latimer says you don't need to be outdoorsy or an extreme hiker to participate either, adding the instructors are super accommodating to everyone.

"I really have to applaud (University Credit instructors) Gord (Weary) and Sheree (Ronaasen), they make the whole thing so enjoyable and entertaining. It's neat to learn from people who really love what they teach, it really engages us as students."

The 2008 Caledonia Secondary School graduate listed several personal highlights from the field school: "I really enjoyed Stewart. I've been there before and it's such a neat community, definitely somewhere I will consider working in the future. Hiking under the Berendon Glacier was pretty surreal, too.

"I had no background in geology, so that course gave me a pretty broad perspective of what geology's all about. I really enjoyed hearing stories that First Nations Elders tell; they are such a unique culture in regards to their traditions and background."

This spring and summer, NWCC offers four field schools with on-campus learning followed by in-the-field learning: Cultural Heritage of the Skeena and Bulkley Valley Field School from April 30 to May 18 at NWCC Smithers Campus; Kitlope Field School from June 15-28 at NWCC Terrace Campus; Haida Gwaii Field School from July 18-31 at the Haida Heritage Centre at  Kaay Llnagaay, plus Terrace videoconference; and Stewart/Telegraph Creek Field School from Aug. 15-31 at NWCC Terrace Campus.

Each field school includes one to two different courses for up to six University Credits. Go to the field schools page on NWCC's website  for more information.

Latimer, who envisions a nursing career working in remote locations before eventually moving to live and work as a trauma/ER nurse in Australia, says another benefit of field schools is keeping your mind active and inquisitive during the spring and summer semesters. The field school she took part in ran the last two weeks in August and she says it was a good way to get into school mode a little early.

For more photos from last year's Stewart/Telegraph Creek Field School, click here.

NWCC is a valuable community asset, impacting the lives of students and our communities. Through its nine campuses, 500-plus employees and an annual injection of over $30 million into the local economy, NWCC is an economic engine supporting the many communities that look to us to provide innovative programs and services.

 

Christines Blog - Lets talk about it

THE RECENT Bell Mobility commercial was an awareness campaign about depression which got me thinking about society and depression. I recently got a hold of some statistics on Terrace which talked about how much money we made our crime rates, education and graduation rates, to how much booze we’ve consumed. When you compared BC statistics to Terrace, well things weren’t looking so good. We have very high suicide rates in the North and need to do something about it.

Personally, I suffered from a very bad depression for years. I didn’t graduate because of it, and in a sense you could say I lost years of life because of it. The only reason I can give credit to being here today is because of my parents and I have a lifetime to thank them for this.

I am very comfortable now talking being depressed and encourage anyone going through it to try and do the same. It has taken me years to recover, with multiple relapses, hardships, many mistakes and tons of soul searching. In the end I have never felt better and am actually thankful for what I went through because in a sense I feel like I have a second chance at life.

I have learned lots in this life. I have learned to surround myself with good, positive people. I believe in a healthy mind and healthy body and taking steps every day to make sure I am doing my best to look after myself. The truth is simple, I’ve stopped trying to be someone that people want me to be and started just being myself. I’ve accepted that it’s fine to have silence in a conversation. I’ve learned that my comfort zone doesn’t get me anywhere, and I get so much more out of leaving it. I’ve learned to stick up for myself. I’ve learned its okay to ask for help.  I’ve accepted that I’m socially awkward around lots of people, but its okay because I’m also fabulous around others.

I have cleared my head and begun focusing on what I need to. I have goals; both short and long term and I feel invigorated every day. I still wake up some mornings with the urge to be sad. But now I am able to give my head a shake and tell myself that won’t get me anywhere, and I want to do fabulous things in this life. My depression, for me, was a blessing in disguise and I am thankful it has shown me what I don’t want in life so I am able to focus on what I do want and let me tell you, I am going to do amazing things.

But most importantly I’ve learned I wasn’t the only one with depression, and its everywhere we look. If you are suffering, know there are options. Your first step to getting better is talking to someone and finding out what options you have. Or if you know someone who is depressed, and they say they are, don’t tell them they’re not. Listen to them and try to help them find the help they need. With six degrees of separation and one small planet, we are all in this together. So let’s start talking…

Christine Leclerc is NWCC's first ever full-time student blogger! She's a second-year Business Administration student in Terrace who took part in a study exchange to China earlier last year. Over the fall and winter semesters, she'll be giving her take on student life at NWCC. We're excited to see and read her posts and encourage you - the college community - to follow along. She's looking forward to getting your feedback and maybe some inspiration, too, throughout her blogging experience. And in case you're wondering, that's her beloved English bulldog Maddox

Paramedic training in Smithers starts in January

SMITHERS – Specialized training for paramedics offered by the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) in the Lower Mainland will be available to Northwest Community College (NWCC) students in Smithers through part-time study in 2012.

 

Thanks to one-time funding from the province, up to 75 students in a handful of BC communities can take the training that leads to a fast-paced career in paramedicine. In Smithers, the Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) Certificate program starts in January and applications are still being accepted.

 

As the demand for healthcare professionals continues to grow, so will employment opportunities for graduates of the Primary Care Paramedic program, says NWCC Dean of Trades Margo Van Der Touw.

 

“This is a great career opportunity for people in the Northwest who might not normally get the chance to pursue it,” says Van Der Touw. “With all the business and industry coming to this area, there is a growing demand for licensed paramedics and the work is both stimulating and rewarding.”

Interested applicants are urged to contact Laurie Kallio, NWCC’s program coordinator for Workforce Training & Continuing Studies at 250.847.5849 or toll-free at 1.877.277.2288 ext. 5849. Email her at [email protected]

Find out more about the program by visiting the PCP program page on the JIBC website.

NWCC Student Blogger - Christine Leclerc

NUTRICIOUS AND DELICIOUS

If you went to the cafeteria last week you may have noticed a little kiosk. The nurses teamed up with the culinary arts students to have a healthy eating week and were surveying any willing participants on healthy eating. Together they are looking at offering more healthy options on the menu.

The problem with eating healthy is it costs more, and it’s more time consuming to prepare the meals. I have dabbled with raw foodism over the past couple years (eating foods that haven’t been heated above 116F) and would love to eat a strict diet as such, but reality is, is I don’t have the time, or the money to pay for the specialized products needed to uncook this way.

If school isn’t stressful enough, we are faced with a limited budget and limited time away from studies. It's finding the balance between what is most important with your spare time, whether it be working out, making healthy food, hanging out with friends and family or playing Starcraft. But this balance isn’t always easy to find.

In order to be successful, I’m a firm believer that you need a healthy mind and healthy body. It’s great seeing NWCC make these steps towards trying to make things easier for the students to make the right decisions. I asked a couple people what they thought of this, and their answers were pretty similar:

“I’m so happy to see the cafeteria looking into offering healthier options. I try not to eat there because I don’t always want a burger and fries. A salad with chicken would bring me in there on a more regular basis” C. Farkvam, Business Admin

 

“We got into groups and came up with healthy mainline lunches, short order lunches, salads, desserts, and baked goods. Our objectives were mainly to see if people were interested in healthy eating and the booths were set up to provide information about nutrition!” L. Smith, Biology 222

It looks like the students are responding in a positive manner and we can hope to see some positive results from this. Good work NWCC!

Christine Leclerc is NWCC's first ever full-time student blogger! She's a second-year Business Administration student in Terrace who took part in a study exchange to China earlier this year. Over the fall and winter semesters, she'll be giving her take on student life at NWCC. We're excited to see and read her posts and encourage you - the college community - to follow along. She's looking forward to getting your feedback and maybe some inspiration, too, throughout her blogging experience. And in case you're wondering, that's her beloved English bulldog Maddox!

Healthy eating the buzz words this week at NWCC

NWCC nursing and culinary arts students are behind an informative and tasty initiative this week at the Terrace Campus. Here is a group of students working on menu items for Healthy Eating Week.

TERRACE – Northwest Community College (NWCC) is celebrating Healthy Eating Week at its Terrace Campus all week thanks to a unique collaboration between students in two programs that know a little something about nutrition.

Aiming to promote healthy eating to their fellow students, nursing and culinary arts students put their heads together last month to alter the cafeteria menus this week, in what is being promoted as Healthy Eating Week. Working in five groups with students from each program, they created healthy menus for each day of the week.

“Nutrition is an important part of both programs and it just made sense to get both groups in the same classroom with two instructors, Germaine Mistry and Chef Darlene Godfrey, to work on putting together a healthy eating week,” said Kerry Clarke, NWCC Director of Ancillary Services.

Working from the menus created, culinary students will be preparing the food that the students have brought forward to represent healthy eating. In addition, nursing students will be presenting static displays about healthy eating and taking blood pressures readings from volunteers in the cafeteria.

Professional Cook 1 student Taien Creed said it’s been a great experience working with the nursing students, bringing what each cohort has learned when it comes to nutrition as part of a healthy lifestyle.

And in what might be a first for a college cafeteria, the deep fryers will not be turned on all day this Friday, what Clarke is dubbing “Fryless Friday.”

“It should be very interesting,” says Clarke, who knows some students will be disappointed. “There is nothing wrong with fried foods in moderation and this week of activity and menu items is just showcasing how healthy eating doesn’t compromise on taste.”

Guests of the cafeteria this week will be asked to complete a survey — with a chance at a daily draw for a $10 cafeteria card — asking what they learned from the week and what improvement it has made in their eating.

Student success: focus on the Career & College Prep program

Northwest Community College students have great stories to tell. Get to know the future of the Northwest's workforce now.

Sabrina Arruda, Career and College Prep (CCP) student.

Sabrina Arruda admits her first year out of high school wasn't very memorable academically. In what was a transition year, she never quite got into a rhythm. She ended up taking extra shifts at her part-time job as a grocery store cashier and her studies, well, they took a back seat.

But that year has given the 2010 graduate of Caledonia Senior Secondary School in Terrace a chance to re-focus on what has become a clear career goal.

Following in the footsteps of her mom, Sabrina wants to become a registered nurse. She says she has a pretty good idea what the career entails being the daughter of a longtime nurse. The hours are long but it's a rewarding career personally and financially.

Living at home and with a strong family and friend support network, she says she's thrilled to be able to get the prerequisites and mark upgrades she needs at NWCC to get into the nursing program, while still keeping some shifts at work.

"I chose CCP to upgrade my marks to get into the RN program and chose NWCC because it's close to home and it's a good place to start the college path," says Sabrina. "I like that there is always a teacher there to help and the small class sizes means there is always one-on-one times with the teacher for help."

Sabrina is currently upgrading her English requirements and will do the same for Biology in the winter semester.

To be sure, Sabrina has a long and challenging road ahead. NWCC offers the Northern Collaborative Baccalaureate Nursing Program, with two years of study at the Terrace Campus, followed by two years of study at UNBC.

At NWCC, we recognize every student has a unique set of needs. We're happy to help get Sabrina started on her career journey!

NWCC running upstream in Skeena River Relay

PRINCE RUPERT – Northwest Community College (NWCC) staff, family and friends are putting their best foot forward. And then another foot forward. And so it will go for 140 kilometres this Saturday in the Skeena River Relay.

The 10-person relay from Prince Rupert to Terrace starts at 6 am and must be completed within 14 hours.

The NWCC team – NWCC has Sole! – was put together by Paul Brady, the Learning Assistance Specialist at the Prince Rupert Campus. He says on top of the relay being a great opportunity for the college to connect with the community and demonstrate support for significant activities promoting healthy lifestyle habits, it is also a good
team-building exercise.

“The Skeena River Relay is an opportunity for our staff, faculty, administration – and friends – from different campuses to get together and do something positive outside the realm of college work,” Brady said. “I’m a believer in staying healthy, and participating in an activity such as the relay is a good message to send to people that staying fit can be fun, social and good for the soul.”

The team will be running for all those good reasons, plus it is gathering pledges with all proceeds going toward NWCC student bursaries.

Joining Brady, who will run second, is Suzanne Leblanc, Cheryl Pelletier, Jonathan Stone, Tony Sorensen, Gerry Gauthier, Amanda Kirkham, Ian Hamilton, Derek Hogan and Dennis Straussfogel. They comprise seven NWCC staff, a staff member’s husband, one NWCC student and his friend.

Prince Rupert College staffers Dave McKeever, Sherry Beal and Kaarlene Lindsay from Student Services will offer race-day support and encouragement, as will Brady’s sister Ilene, who is travelling up from Victoria.

For more information on making a donation to the team, or a donation to NWCC student bursaries in general, contact Jill Pimlott, NWCC Associate Registrar at 250.638.5477.

Student success: focus on the NCBNursing program

Northwest Community College students have great stories to tell. Get to know the future of the Northwest's workforce now.

Stacie Reis, first year student in the Northern Collaborative Baccalaureate Nursing Program.

I graduated in 2006 from Mount Elizabeth Secondary School in Kitimat and went to UNBC Prince George for two years before realizing that the time and place just wasn't really suited for me yet. I took some time off to work and, having already worked as a retail pharmacy technician for a few years, I managed to get a job working for Northern Health in the pharmacy department. Through this job, I had the opportunity to travel to various sites, working at five different hospitals throughout northern BC. I loved my job, however, the hours weren't enough and I really missed the client contact.

Seeing nurses around me working in the hospitals, I began to really admire their work and see myself as a nurse someday. Since I wanted a career in which I could remain in the Kitimat/Terrace area once finished, the two-year Northern Collaborative Baccalaureate Nursing Program for registered nurses seemed like a great fit for me (and I guess the College agreed because they let me in!). I like that the program can all be done here in Terrace – with third and fourth year at UNBC Terrace – so I can still live at home. Plus, the College atmosphere is great to get to know teachers personally, which I find really helps me when it comes to academic success.

Once I have graduated, I hope to work in the hospital in Kitimat or work for a company that fits locum nurses to sites that are in need.

Read the stories of two of Stacie's classmates – Matthew Le Gresley and Susanna Ellert – in the NCBNursing program.