Northwest Community College Connections

First Nations Studies students learn about life by the Tsimshian calendar

PRINCE RUPERT – Northwest Community College (NWCC) professor and First Nations Studies coordinator Judy Thompson and her Aboriginal Languages – Preservation and Revitalization class (FNST 120) recently took the opportunity to invite two respected Elders to share their experiences living through the seasons of the Tsimshian calendar. 

Alex Campbell and John Pahl, pictured with Thompson, explained the profound effect the lunar cycles have on the gathering of food, and preparation of clothing. Students at the Prince Rupert Campus and those at the Smithers Campus, linked to the rendezvous via videoconferencing, and guests were afforded the opportunity of compare the Gregorian calendar, the retail seasons and the traditional Tsimshian Seasonal Rounds calendar over a modest lunch.

Thompson has made it a habit to incorporate the traditional knowledge of Tsimshian Elders throughout the curriculum of First Nations Studies courses offered at NWCC.

Short-term programs offer employment-ready skills at NWCC

TERRACE – Northwest Community College’s (NWCC) Workforce Training & Continuing Studies (WTCS) department is offering several short-term training options in various Northwest communities designed to prepare students for work in a number of in-demand fields.

These programs meet the training needs of Northwest BC communities, assist unemployed individuals gain employment in industry, and ensure opportunities for a well-trained local workforce for the major projects on the horizon in the Northwest. These programs begin in January and February and are being offered at NWCC campuses and, in some cases, delivered in First Nations communities.

Construction Trades Helpers & Labourers is an eight-week program delivered in three sections: Safety Certificates, comprising WHMIS, Helicopter & Chainsaw Safety, Traffic Control Flagging, Bear Awareness, and more; Basics of Construction, with training in Backfill & Compaction, Basics of Concrete, Working Safely around Electricity and more; and Skills for Work & Life, covering skills such as Working in Teams, Time Management, Business of Listening, Job Search & Interviews and more. This program started in Terrace last week and begins in Gitanyow on Feb. 20 and in Prince Rupert on March 26.

A Value Added Carpentry program in Gitwangak started last week, which gives students employment-ready skills, while simultaneously benefitting the First Nations communities of Gitwangak, Gitsegukla and Gitanyow through practical projects the students work on during the course, as participants gain news skills for work at home and in major projects throughout the region. The 5-module program begins with the Carpentry Foundation program – Level 1 curriculum that includes 450 work-based hours credit towards completion of Carpenter Level 1 Apprenticeship Program. Modules 2-4 are composed of Safety Certification, ITA Essential Skills and Skills for Work & Life. Module 5 is the Residential Building Maintenance program, an additional four weeks of hand-on skills for the repair and maintenance of residential buildings in accordance with federal, provincial and local building codes and bylaws and BC Safety Authority Regulations.

Industry Field Medic (Terrace – Feb. 6 - March 2; Smithers – Feb. 13 - March 7; Haida Gwaii – Feb. 27 - March 20; and Hazelton – March 12 - Apr. 12) is an intensive four-week program that includes certification in a number of industry-specific training, including WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System), plus a Job Search Essentials (job search, resumé writing, networking & interview preparation) course.

Changing gears, the Essential Office Skills program (Terrace Jan. 30 – Mar. 16, Prince Rupert Feb 20 – Apr 13 and Haida Gwaii Jan. 23 – Mar. 16) is an intensive seven-week program that prepares participants with the communication, business, and computer skills essential for a career in business or office environments.

The program is delivered in 8 modules: Customer Service Skills, Office Environment, Communication, Computer Skills, Business Writing, Accounting, Time Management and Jobs & Careers.

And in Terrace, starting Feb. 13, get trained in what is estimated to be one of the most sought after trades in the Northwest over the next decade—Heavy Equipment Operator. The 10-week program prepares participants with the knowledge, skills and certifications needed to begin a career in Heavy Equipment Operation. It also includes hands-on experience along with essential and life/business skill development training. The program is delivered in nine modules: Industry Orientation & Overview; Tool & Equipment Operation & Maintenance; Civil Engineering Principles; Worksite Preparation; Safety Certifications; Skills for Work & Life; Equipment Operational Theory; Seat Time on Equipment; and Job Search Skills.

Each of these programs is partly funded by the Canada-BC Labour Market Agreement, which provides money for students that are eligible for the Employment Skills Access (ESA) program. To find out if you’re eligible, contact Charlynn Toews at [email protected] or 1.877.277.2288 Ext. 5357.

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.

NWCC Student Blogger – Christine Leclerc

Video conferencing

I WAS actually quite excited when I showed up for class in the beginning of September to find 2 big screen TVs in my classroom and a microphone. I thought it was about time we got karaoke in the classroom! I was a little disheartened to find out this wasn’t the case. Its part of the video conference system the college has set up to have class with Prince Rupert. This is one of NWCCs ways of keeping up with technology, and being able to expand its class size without having to find another professor.

After having a few classes with this video conferencing system, it was all the excuse I needed to hop in a car and go to Rupert to check things out. My friend Christina and I loved the idea of being able to go to another city and still take our same classes, but from the other side. This campus is great. It’s only a few years old and couldn’t be located any better. It's placed just off of main street, which means there are three clothing stores, a coffee shop, bakery and gym less than a block away! Errr, I mean it’s easy to get to, with great scenery. When we arrived, we got the classroom number from my friend and decided to go find class. We went on our merry way to find classroom 187, and there it was tucked away right beside the stairs with a sign that said 'student lounge'. We looked around, found some vending machines, and circle tables that looked nothing like what we had seen in our video conference. We may not be detectives, but we saw enough pieces of the puzzle to figure out this was not our classroom. I went to text Krystal back asking if she pulled a fast one on us, just to discover she actually said 186. This was more like it! The classroom was set up very similar to ours, with the microphone over top, projection screen in front and a big screen TV. However all we could see on this TV was our teacher, there was no monitor showing our sister class. We made it through our first class without being to distracted by our new classroom and found we had a few hours to go to explore Rupert before next class. We went for lunch and had to make the mandatory stop at Homeworks. Shopper beware: this store is never safe for a poor student on a budget! But I’m sure if I just eat rice and beans for a week I can rationalize the sweet new necklace I got.

We went back to class a few minutes early, with just enough time for Al Sande to notice that his Terrace classroom was a little too quiet, and his Rupert classroom seemed a little louder. Yes, we were busted. Being a little giddy from our shopping trip, we just snuck in and were trying to settle down for class when we were faced with one of the problems with video conferencing. The power went out in Prince Rupert! This meant the teacher in Terrace was unable to finish the class because if he continued, the Rupert students would be left a class behind the Terrace students. This led me to think about it on the way home. Is the technology we are using to try and better ourselves actually slowing us down? Or should we just accept the little bloopers along the way and accept this as a great opportunity for NWCC to offer more classes to more students in the Northwest? Would you mind looking at a teacher on a screen all day if it meant you could save thousands of dollars and take classes at home?

As a student is there more the college can be doing to be keeping up with this technological era?

 

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!

Steer straight to your career with computer program at NWCC

PRINCE RUPERT – Northwest Community College (NWCC) offers post-secondary training for a number of potential careers, but for some students or would-be students, the hardest decision is which one of those to pursue.

What has made that decision easier is a user-friendly computer program used by the NWCC Student Services team with a number of activities to assist students and community members determine career options. Because of this, the Bridges Career and Education Explorer software has been renewed for another year.

“One portion of the program matches individuals’ skills and interests with specific careers,” says Sherry Beal, NWCC Educational Advisor in Prince Rupert. “Once these are matched, people can research the careers, accessing information relating to required education, potential wages, and employment outlook. Additionally there are interviews with people already in these types of jobs, which give people more personal information about the work, including the pros and cons of this type of career.”

If people have an idea of the field in which they would like to be employed, another Bridges activity allows users to research by career clusters, finding the specific area of interest. The same research information will be available as in the previous activities. An additional activity bases one’s areas or subjects of interest (i.e. biology, history) to match potential careers, enabling individuals to research the career profile and interviews with students who are in those specific programs.

Beal says the program is a winner. “Bridges gives students and community members a great opportunity to explore education and career options that they may have not have considered in the past. In many cases, people tend to consider your typical and traditional careers, but this program broadens minds to look at all the opportunities that are out there. The wealth of information the program provides can give individuals a clear sense of what specific jobs entail, along with outlook for employment, which I find is always a concern for people making career decisions or making that all-important career change.”

As an Educational Advisor, Beal knows all too well the obstacles students can face. The idea of starting post-secondary education can be a daunting task, but when students have a clear goal in mind, the idea of heading back to school is embraced as the beginning of an exciting new journey, she says.

Prospective students interested in using the Bridges program simply have to make an appointment with an NWCC Educational Advisor to get started. They are then recommended to do further research in the College library computer lab, after which they can make appointments with an Educational Advisor to discuss their findings and start educational plans to reach their employment/career goals. Along with educational planning, Educational Advisors are able to direct people to financial aid options to help pay for their education.

Beal cites one student, who was struggling with what type of career she wanted. The student said she was drawn toward studying history, but she didn’t think there would be any jobs for people with a degree in history other than teaching – Bridges provided many other options. Contact an NWCC Educational Advisor for more information!

Student success: focus on the Early Childhood Education program

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

Early Childhood Education (ECE) students at Northwest Community College (NWCC) get the opportunity to do three practicums during the program, allowing them to create relationships and experience in the field, often leading directly to employment.

Olga Garcia, seen here with her proud son when she graduated from ECE in 2010, is one such example. She was able to stay in her own community and complete the ECE program via distance delivery. She attended classes from her home campus in Prince Rupert via audio conference. During the fall and spring, she travelled on weekends to meet up with her peers and instructors for intensive workshops in Terrace.

Olga returned to school as a mature student after raising her own children and taking time to develop her English skills. She worked hard in her studies, developed relationships with children and families and developed sound professional development skills. She is also the proud recipient of the Rena Gardner Award and Olga obtained work as an Early Childhood Educator before she completed the ECE program. Congratulations Olga!

Olga’s Testimonial

I'm working full time in a day care facility, which has a preschool and a before and after school program. I always loved working with children but after taking ECE, I loved it even more, because I learned the importance of early learning in young children.

The program taught me to see and respect a child as a whole child, with his personal background developmental stage, likes and dislikes. I also learned positive guidance strategies from observing possibly mistaken behaviour triggers, to change my own agenda or classroom layout to improve a balanced and appropriate child developmental curriculum and also consider children's developmental stages within the classroom to provide and plan daily activities.

All this great teaching made a big impact on me. Now I have the opportunity to have a group of 10 children all by myself twice a week and, honestly, I wouldn't be able to provide a good care and balanced program without ECE.

Graduating from the ECE program was the best thing I could ever do to better serve children and families.

Did you know Early Childhood Education at NWCC is designed to allow you to stay in your home community for most of your courses? Students teleconference into class during the week, complete assignments in childcare facilities in their home communities and travel to Terrace in the fall and spring for face-to-face weekend workshops.

Enrol now for September. There are still spaces for fall 2011 intake!

NWCC staffer wins national award

NWCC's Terri Lynne Huddlestone, 2011 award winner.

 

PRINCE RUPERT – Northwest Community College’s (NWCC) Terri Lynne Huddlestone has been recognized for her long association with Parent Advisory Councils. For a second time, she is the recipient of the Canadian Home and School Federation National Volunteer Recognition Award.

The award was presented to Huddlestone at the Canadian Home and School Federation AGM held in Kelowna on June 4, where she was representing the Board of Breakfast for Learning presented on behalf of this group at the Canadian Home and School Federation board meeting.

Huddlestone has proudly represented parents at the local, district, provincial and national levels. She served as the BC representative to the Canadian Home and School Federation for seven years and during this time she also served on the Advisory Committee for Health and Learning, the Directorate Advisory SH and became a Breakfast for Learning Board member, a title she still holds today.

“I believe that parents should be active participants in their children’s education,” said Huddlestone, NWCC Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Student Services & Instruction.

Wendy Prystay, Prince Rupert Campus Manager, said Huddlestone’s colleagues are proud of her and understand just how unusual it is for a person to receive a national honour more than once.

Huddlestone is currently a trustee of Prince Rupert School District 52 and has served the school district as a representative of the District Parent Advisory Council and at the school on the Parent Advisory Council.

“NWCC employees are encouraged to set an example and get involved in community volunteerism,” said Prystay. “Terri Lynne is deserving of this recognition because she brings a passion for education to her work at the College and in her volunteer activities.”

NWCC President sworn in as Canadian citizen

PRINCE RUPERT – After acing her citizenship test, Northwest Community College (NWCC) President, Dr. Denise Henning and her husband John were officially sworn in as Canadian citizens today.

Twenty-four new Canadians were sworn in at a citizenship ceremony presided over by Judge George Springate at NWCC’s Prince Rupert campus.

"My husband John and I are happy that this has finally happened,” said Dr. Henning. “We have loved our experiences here in Canada and our dual status will allow us to vote and fully participate in both the countries that we hold dear."

Dr. Henning has previously worked in Canada as the as President and Vice-Chancellor of University College of the North based in Thompson, Man. and as Academic Vice-President for First Nations University of Canada in Regina, Sask.

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For more information contact:

Kristine Kofoed
Director of Communications and College Advancement
Northwest Community College
[email protected]

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.

NWCC welding students earn national credential

 

Nine NWCC welding students successfully earned Canadian Welding Bureau certification. On the left is NWCC welding instructor Tom Fodor.

 

PRINCE RUPERT – Nine Northwest Community College (NWCC) welding students gained their Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) certification last month in testing that may now become a regular occurrence at NWCC.

A CWB inspector had been at NWCC’s Prince Rupert Campus in September 2010 to perform an audit on the welding shop and instructor Tom Fodor suggested the CWB could return to test students who expressed an interest in obtaining CWB certification and who met the instructor’s criteria regarding completion of theory and practical modules. The same CWB inspector, Peter Brisebois, returned to the campus to administer four shielded metal arc welding performance qualifications.

“The testing was very successful, surpassing both the students’ and instructor’s expectations,” said Fodor, adding students covered all the costs of the testing procedures. “I am very proud of their achievement and would like to thank everyone who helped facilitate this valuable opportunity – this is a very big deal in the welding industry.”  

Added Prince Rupert Campus Manager Wendy Prystay: “The students were very excited about this opportunity and spent four to five days preparing the testing materials. They really pulled together to help one another and share their skills.”

CWB certificates were distributed to the students specifying the successful welds. CWB certification is not part of the standard Industry Training Authority (ITA) curriculum, so NWCC students are not obliged to earn it. The College does, however, facilitate CWB certification because of its benefit to students, says NWCC Trades Chair Brian Badge.

“The difference between ITA and CWB is that a lot of industrial sites want you to have CWB qualifications on top of ITA certification,” said Badge. “It's an industry recognized certification and CWB certificate holders are more likely to obtain employment in the welding field than those without.”

NWCC has approached the CWB about having its welding shops in Terrace and Prince Rupert become official CWB testing sites. That would allow students and non-students alike to attain this valued certification in the Northwest.

“Our goal in the Trades department at Northwest Community College is to give our students the tools for a successful career and those who accomplish this are often the most motivated and committed ones,” said Margo Van Der Touw, NWCC Dean of Trades and of Continuing Education & Industry Training. “These students deserve credit for their initiative to go outside the standard curriculum and earn this valuable credential.”