Nine students celebrated their graduation from the Tŝilhqot’in National Government Carpentry Foundations Program Friday, July 29 in Williams Lake. The program was delivered by the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT) as an off campus program in Tl’esqox (Toosey).
“This training program is stemming from our negotiation with Canada and from our title case,” said Nits’ilʔin (Chief) Joe Alphonse, O.B.C, Tribal Chair, TNG. “We don’t want to look at housing and infrastructure as just building structures – we want to use this process to improve the lives of our people through skills training and apprenticeships.”
The program was made possible with the support of our partners: The Industry Trades Authority (ITA) and the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training through the Canadian Workforce Response Grant.
Throughout this 24-week program, local Indigenous students were taught how to use tools, large equipment and various lumber products in a hands-on learning environment. Cultural aspects were brought in to the program with speeches from leaders, drumming, and appreciation events. Many of the students will be able to work with the TNG Construction Management Company as apprentices moving forward.
“It’s amazing what the students have been able to learn over the past few months,” said Nits’ilʔin Otis Guichon, Sr., Tŝideldel First Nation, TNG Tribal vice-chair. “They will be an asset where ever they start working. Workers are in such high demand these days that training like this is needed now more than ever. We hope to see these graduates building homes in our communities over the next few years.”
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