Northwest Community College Connections

NWCC Skills Canada BC Regional Trades Competition 2013 Winners

Junior Skills Category
Spaghetti Bridge — Students from Mount Elizabeth Middle School in Kitimat BC came away with the top prizes with Jared’s team taking first place. Congratulations to all participants, who learned today that spaghetti is not a great building material.

Secondary Skills Category
Automotive
1st place: Scott Beertema, Hazelton Secondary, Hazelton BC
2nd place: Jordan McNiece, Caledonia Senior Secondary, Terrace BC
3rd place: Andrew Martel, Northwest Community College

Carpentry — sponsored by Progressive Ventures
1st place: Brayden Fulljames, Smithers Secondary, Smithers BC
2nd place: William Helps, Smithers Secondary, Smithers BC
3rd place: Kristian Vidal, Caledonia Senior Secondary, Terrace BC

Culinary Arts — sponsored by Sysco Vancouver
1st place: Ben Williams, Hazelton Secondary, Hazelton BC
2nd place: Luc Statham, Charles Hayes Secondary, Prince Rupert BC
3rd place: Phil Ralston, Caledonia Secondary, Terrace BC

Welding — sponsored by KBR
1st place: Kolton Miller, Northwest Community College
2nd place: Jeremy Soares, Caledonia Senior Secondary, Terrace BC
3rd place: Colton Szmata, Mount Elizabeth Middle School, Kitimat BC

Electrical Wiring
1st place: Chris Leblanc, Northwest Community College
2nd place: Duncan Fisher, Northwest Community College
3rd place: Josh Clark, Northwest Community College

Post-Secondary Category
Automotive
1st place: Jocelyn Harris, Northwest Community College
2nd place, tie: Bertram Gonu and Cody Nelson, Northwest Community College

Carpentry
1st place: Brandon Stella, Northwest Community College
2nd place: Ian Fromm, Northwest Community College
3rd place: James Haley, Northwest Community College

Culinary Arts — sponsored by Sysco Vancouver
1st place: Candice Thomas, Northwest Community College
2nd place: Janelle Robinson, Northwest Community College
3rd place: Leah Kolesar, Northwest Community College

Electrical Wiring
1st place: Shonte William, Northwest Community College
2nd place: Linnea Waechter, Northwest Community College
3rd place: Allen Noordhoff, Northwest Community College


Thank you to the sponsors of the Skills Canada BC Regional Competition:
KBR
Progressive Ventures Construction
Galore Creek Mining Corporation
Avanti Kitsault Mine Ltd
Imperial Metals
Shell
Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines
Sysco Vancouver
Classic Rock CFNR

Prizes were donated by these generous local businesses:
Convoy Construction Supplies
Spectra Energy
Kaman Industrial Technologies
Rudon Hydraulics Ltd
EB Horsman & Son
Air Liquide
Praxair
NAPA Auto Parts
McCarthy Motors GM
Finning Canada
Western Equipment Ltd
Canadian Tire

NWCC staff co-author guide for literacy practitioners

HOUSTON – Two Northwest Community College (NWCC) employees, both tireless champions of learning and literacy in the Bulkley Valley and beyond, have been instrumental in creating a new tool for literacy practitioners.

Houston-based Sandi Lavallie, Career & College Prep Instructor and Coordinator, and Dee McRae, Regional Literacy Coordinator, teamed with Anne Docherty of the Storytellers' Foundation in Hazelton to create The ACME Guide to Literacy Practice in Community: A Conversation for Literacy Practitioners.

The result is an interesting and provocative look at those complexities and what it means to engage in meaningful literacy practice. Written in an innovative and engaging comic book style and addressed directly to literacy practitioners, it is an accessible and highly engaging conversation for practitioners and tutors in adult literacy settings.

"This guide is about the nature of literacy and the implications for practice," said Lavallie. "It is intended as a professional development tool that will spark dialogue, debate, ideas and reflection about how we define literacy, how we define literacy progress, and other 'big picture' questions.
 
"While it was originally intended to be a fun, informal introduction to measurement, we found that as we wrote, we kept going back to the essence of literacy practice. We first need to look closely at literacy and learning in community to really see the complexities.”

Lianne Gagnon, NWCC's Dean of Student Development and Instruction has read the guide, finding it to be both informative and fun.

"I'm very pleased that Northwest Community College—through the effort, skill and passion of Sandi and Dee—has played a significant part in creating this great new literacy resource," said Gagnon. "Sandi, Dee and Anne possess a wealth of literacy experience and it is reflected in this book for practitioners. These three individuals are well known for their expertise in literacy and their successful grassroots initiatives. The Northwest region is a more literate place because of their endeavours. I recommend the guide to anyone in the field of literacy."

The guide is a product of the project From the Ground Up: A Research-in-Practice Approach to Outcome-Oriented Program Evaluation managed by RiPAL-BC (Research in Practice in Adult Literacy–BC) in partnership with Literacy BC and funded by the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

In addition to viewing it here in PDF format, the College has six copies available at its campus libraries in Hazelton, Houston, Kitimat, Prince Rupert, Smithers and Terrace.

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.

NWCC's Sandi Lavallie recognized as inspirational leader

HOUSTON – Northwest Community College's (NWCC) Sandi Lavallie was honoured recently at a community event marking International Women's Day. Lavallie, the Career & College Prep (CCP) coordinator and instructor at NWCC's Houston Campus, received a Recognition Award for an Honorable Woman of the Community. 

Below is the letter/bio, written by Lavallie's colleague Dee McRae, which was read at the presentation by event organizer, Naomi Himech:

Inspirational Woman of Houston Recognition: Sandra Lavallie

Sandi Lavallie is a brilliant educator. She is deeply smart and able to grasp concepts on a variety of topics, teach herself almost anything and then take that and turn around and make it understandable for anyone who walks into her office. She teaches physics, accounting, real estate, computing, horse training, psychology, math, English, essay writing, you name it. If there is a course, available anywhere and you need support while you are taking it, Sandi will help you. She will teach herself the content if she does not know it already, and then teach you. She is a bit on the compulsive side, so when you put those together, you get a brilliant teacher thinking 24 hours a day of how best to connect Person A with Topic B and Person C. That is another aspect of her brilliance; she is the navigator for folks. She directs them along a path that includes courses and people and projects (that she dreams up) in a way that allows participants to get a wee glimpse of where their course work is taking them.

There is a joke at the campus that there is a path worn in the floor to her door. It is not a joke. There is a path worn to her door. People come, reluctantly at first, because they have heard she is a good teacher. Reluctantly, because these are folks who have not exactly had success with teachers and education. She wants to know their story. She figures out a eclectic mix of courses and bits of courses  that work for them. She tries to figure out how they learn. She ends up learning about all kinds of other aspects of the person's life and when the inevitable meltdown happens, they walk that same path and sit in that same chair while she calls counselors, connects the person to needed services and generally takes care of their needs in the same creative way she takes care of their learning.

Not all students are successful. They leave. But in a week, a month, or a year or a few years, they are back on that path, visiting Sandi, ready to give it another go. They are welcomed like old friends and the process begins once more. The successful ones revisit that path as well. They come to say thanks. They come to say you changed my life. They come to say I have another thing I am pursuing. Will you help?

All the students, successful or not, come bearing gifts. Soup, bannock, cookies, candy, toys, cards, photos, books, artwork and more. They want to show her how much they appreciate what she has done for them. I could not count the number of people who would say that Sandi has changed their lives. And I know I see only part of the iceberg.

Sandi is an inspirational woman. She truly is an educator. She really changes lives. Oh, and on top of all that she joins a million committees, mentors every new instructor that steps foot on our campus and does all her paperwork in triplicate.
 
She is deserving of this recognition.

Dee McRae

 

Along with Himech, event co-organizers were Bev Lyons (Pleasant Valley Restaurant), Northern Society of Domestic Peace and NWCC. Congratulations, Sandi!

 

Drill core shack donation brings new training opportunity to NWCC

SMITHERS – Northwest Community College's (NWCC) School of Exploration & Mining (SEM) will be able to offer Drill Core Technician training at remote work sites and on contract thanks to the donation of a portable core shack and equipment.

NWCC SEM is grateful to its industry partners Callinex Mines, Canadian Helicopters, Cyr Drilling and UTM Exploration for their matching $4,550 donations, along with generous in-kind donations from IRL Supplies and Castle. Dave O'Leary, NWCC Vice President of Institutional Advancement, says he was very impressed by the collaborative nature of the donation.

"This is a perfect example of industry working together to support the training that is needed to address the severe skills shortage in our region," O'Leary said. "The donors are to be commended for their innovation and cooperation."

The new training tool will support SEM's experiential, hands-on training model. The core shack is essentially a portable classroom, allowing SEM to offer Drill Core Technician courses anywhere, from NWCC campuses to remote locations and exploration camps.

The first offerings of the Drill Core Technician Basic Training course are just weeks away with one cohort at NWCC Hazelton Campus from March 15-20 and a second one at NWCC Houston Campus from March 28 to April 2.

"The School of Exploration & Mining team is keen to take our training out to our neighbouring NWCC campuses in Hazelton and Houston," said Tony Harris, SEM's Employment Advisor & Industry Liaison. "This is a great opportunity to put our new equipment to use and show our industry partners just how valuable it will be for our students."

Harris adds that Northwest area students will benefit from this generous donation and the specialized, job-ready training it enables because they won't have to leave their communities, saving them time and money. The course provides students with the practical skills required to observe, measure and record information from drill core. Upon graduation, students be able to process and safely handle core boxes, how to operate and maintain a core-splitter, and the correct procedures for handling samples.

Harris says SEM grads are highly employable in an industry known for high wages, strong benefits and regular work schedules.

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.

Since its inception in 2004, SEM has graduated more than 850 students and 83 percent of SEM grads either found work or returned to school. Through workforce training for the exploration, mining and natural resource industries, NWCC SEM seeks to build capacity and engagement in communities involved with minerals exploration and other resource development. By bringing the training to communities, SEM overcomes some of the barriers that learners face in remote locations.

NWCC celebrates Family Literacy Day

TERRACE – Northwest Community College (NWCC) is a strong promoter of literacy and every year, NWCC staff takes part in Family Literacy Day events throughout the region.

The Prince Rupert Public Library held weeklong events to mark Family Literacy Day, with storytelling, displays, and prizes. The library handed out free replacements of lost library cards, hosted an e-book demonstration and held a Family Story Hour with special guests Carolina de Ryk of CBC Daybreak North and Prince Rupert Councillor Jennifer Rice.

On Jan. 27 in the afternoon, NWCC Prince Rupert Campus staff had the floor and entertained families with storytelling, games, refreshments and prizes.

Also on Jan. 27, NWCC Houston Campus hosted an event to celebrate Family Literacy Day in the Bulkley Valley. Success By 6’s Duane Jackson, a certified Early Childhood Educator, read to parents and talked about strategies for reading to children; this was followed by a Q & A session.

The following day, Family Literacy Day was hosted at Suwilaawks Community School in Terrace. Over 100 families braved the snow and slush to attend and were kept busy with a number of different activities.

NWCC Head Librarian Melanie Wilke attended, along with colleagues Pat Stone, Solveig Adair, Jessica Hrechka Fee and a few Early Childhood Education students. Wilke said the event had several information and activity tables set up in the gym and library and families were invited to participate in several literacy activities. The tables ranged from card making, play dough, poetry making at the NWCC table, puzzles and more. There was also a healthy lunch of soup and raw veggies served.

“Reading is all about fun and when we make it fun for both kids and their families, it’s a great start to a lifelong connection to books and literacy,” said Wilke. “Family Literacy Day is a wonderful event and NWCC is happy to be a part of it each year.”

NWCC Hazelton Campus will tie-in Family Literacy Day with Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14. The campus will celebrate the event from 10am to 2pm, with snacks to be served at lunchtime. The public is invited to attend.


  

NWCC gives away two iPads to Priority Planning participants

TERRACE – Two lucky Northwest residents got an early Christmas present from Northwest Community College (NWCC) thanks to taking part in the recent Priority Planning sessions that sought input from the public on what kinds of programs and services should be offered at the College over the next five years.

NWCC President, Dr. Denise Henning and the Priority Planning Research team held 15 community forums throughout NWCC's region and participants were invited to enter a draw to win a coveted iPad. 

The winners are Sharon Oskey of Prince Rupert  and Linda Poznikoff of Houston. At left, Oskey (right) and NWCC Prince Rupert Campus Manager Wendy Prystay; below, Poznikoff (right) with NWCC Houston Campus Regional Literacy Coordiantor Dee McRae.

NWCC thanks everyone who participated for their enthusiasm and passion for post-secondary education in the North. Your input is invaluable and serves as the backbone of NWCC's Together This Way Forward 2012-2017 Priority Planning report, which will be posted on NWCC's website in early 2012.

Talking trades at Smithers NWCC campus

SMITHERS/HOUSTON – Trades careers ­— from getting started to the rewards and challenges in the field — will be the focal point of a panel hosted at Northwest Community College (NWCC) Smithers Campus next week.

The panel, scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 23 from 1:30 to 3pm, comprises people representing a variety of trades, from plumbing to heavy equipment operating. The panel is organized by the Employment and Training Service Providers Committee made up of local service providers, such as Community Futures of Nadina, WCG International and NWCC. The committee meets once a month to share ideas and network information. Since its inception two years ago, it has also has organizing monthly Ramp-Up to Employment events related to training, employment maintenance and industry. This June’s Ramp-Up to Employment event included a field trip to the NWCC School of Exploration and Mining’s (SEM) Camp Ganokwa. It focused on how to enter the Mining Industry and tips on successfully finding entry-level positions. Students from SEM in the Workforce Exploration Skills Training (WEST) program met service providers and their clients for an afternoon of learning and fun.

“Through partnership, collaboration and innovation, the committee works to offer opportunities for the service providers and their clients and students to participate in information sessions with guest speakers regarding current news, trends, techniques or training for employment,” said Regina Saimoto, NWCC’s Campus Principal for its Smithers and Houston campuses. “The purpose of such a group is to keep up-to-date with local opportunities and to increase local employment and relevant training for those that need it.”

In the Bulkley Valley, NWCC offers local trades opportunities. In 2012, the College will offer the Heavy Equipment Operator Foundation program, followed by the Heavy Equipment Technician program in Smithers, plus a Primary Care Paramedic Training course and Do It Yourselves Trades sessions. Also in 2012, the Carpentry Foundations program will be offered in Houston.

Next week’s panel will feature a handful of local trades people addressing how they got started in the field. There will be a question and answer period followed by an informal networking session, where the audience and the panel can mingle over some donated refreshments and snacks, thanks to the support of BV Wholesale. One of the panellists is Brian Badge, NWCC Trades Chair (right). He will discuss the rewards and challenges of a career in trades.

“Brian brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the panel,” said Saimoto. “His sharing his passion and knowledge of the trades industry with our community will greatly benefit those with interest in the field. Our hope, as employment and training service providers, is to create links between those that are interested in trades and local training, and potential employment. We want to connect those that are thinking about trades with those that are already in the industry.”

To register for this free event, or for more information, contact Community Futures of Nadina at 250.847.1389.

NWCC’s Dee McRae BC’s top adult literacy educator

HOUSTON – Northwest Community College’s (NWCC) Dee McRae is a champion for adult literacy in the Bulkley Valley and her years-long service to this cause has been rewarded with a 2011 Council of Federation Literacy Award, announced BC Premier Christy Clark.

With almost 20 years of service in the literacy field, McRae continues to contribute her commitment to quality and creative energy to innovative literacy practices. After a stint as a part-time adult literacy tutor coordinator for Houston Link to Learning, McRae began teaching in Adult Basic Education at the College. She held the position of Regional Literacy Coordinator for 12 years on a part-time contract basis with Houston Link to Learning, and then in 2008, she moved to NWCC when the College added it into their literacy portfolio.

McRae has been influential developing and securing funding for seven community adult literacy programs, and has helped communities get English as a Second Language (ESL) settlement grants. As Regional Literacy Coordinator, she now supports 11 diverse community literacy programs and five ESL Settlement Assistance Programs across the Northwest. At the school district level, Dee was co-chair of the Bulkley Valley (SD54) Literacy Coalition that piloted one of the province’s first district literacy plans in 2007. This coalition continues to forge new structures and relationships, while challenging its members to work together towards district wide goals for literacy development.

"This award truly recognizes the work of many college and community practitioners and administrators,” said McRae. “Former College President, Stephanie Forsyth, played a huge role in literacy development across the Northwest. Her understanding of literacy in relation to our college, our communities and our region is the foundation which allows me to do this work."  

The Council of the Federation comprises all 13 provincial and territorial premiers. Each province and territory chooses a group, individual or project that has made a significant contribution to literacy. The Council of the Federation Literacy Award selection committee considers nominees’ history of commitment to excellence; community and peer recognition; leadership in the promotion of partnerships and public awareness; and the introduction of new ideas in promoting literacy. Award recipients receive a medallion and a certificate signed by the Premier of their province or territory.

“On behalf of the Ministry of Education, I would like to congratulate Dee for receiving this award, which gives her the recognition she deserves for her efforts to improve literacy levels in B.C.,” said Education Minister George Abbott. “About one million adults in this province have low literacy levels, and people like Dee who are committed to making a difference in these people’s lives are tremendously valuable.” 

For information on the Council of the Federation, visit: http://www.councilofthefederation.ca

Student jobs available for upcoming 2011 census

The 2011 census is staffing 35,000 jobs across Canada.
If you are over 18 years old and can commit to at least 20 hours per week including evenings, weekends and holidays, apply now.

Rates of pay ($14.72 to $18.04 an hour) vary by assignment. The work period is early March to the end of July 2011, depending on assignment.

Please tell friends and family about opportunities to work on the census. Visit the 2011 Census website for more information.

To download and submit an online application, click on the Apply now graphic (left).

For more information about this opportunity, contact:

Sarah Miller
Communications Officer
Statistics Canada
email: [email protected]
tel: 604-658-8202 

NWCC campuses take a holiday recess

Northwest Community College (NWCC) campuses will be closed to the public during the upcoming holiday season, though the hours differ from campus to campus.

Please see what hours and days each campus is affected:

Note: All campuses will be closed by 1PM on December 24.

Hazelton Campus – closed to the public from 3pm December 24 through January 3 inclusive. Regular campus hours resume January 4, 2011.

Houston Campus – closed to the public December 25 through January 3 inclusive. Regular campus hours resume January 4, 2011.

Haida Heritage Centre at Kaay Llnagaay – closed to the public December 17 through January 3 inclusive. Regular campus hours resume January 4, 2011.

Kitimat Campus – closed to the public from 1pm December 24 through January 3 inclusive. Regular campus hours resume January 4, 2011.

Masset Campus – closed to the public December 17 through January 3 inclusive. Regular campus hours resume January 4, 2011.

Prince Rupert Campus – closed to the public from 3pm December 24 through January 3 inclusive. Regular campus hours resume January 4, 2011.

Village of Queen Charlotte Campus – closed to the public December 13 through January 3 inclusive. Regular campus hours resume January 4, 2011.

Smithers Campus – closed to the public from December 25 through January 3 inclusive. Regular campus hours resume January 4, 2011.

Terrace Campus – closed to the public from 3pm December 24 through January 3 inclusive. Regular campus hours resume January 4, 2011.