2019 Education Guide
Eeyou Istchee
If you are looking to start a vocational course after high school or are feeling like you might want to start a new career in a different field, the Cree School Board offers vocational training in most communities in line with the needs of local employers. Below is a list of what courses are available over the next six months.
Chisasibi
The following programs are all slated to begin this winter.
Hotel Reception
In this 735-hour course students learn basic computer skills geared at maintaining guest books, answering client enquiries regarding hotel services and understanding the software used at hotels.
Pharmacy Technical Assistance
A 1230-hour course that allows graduates to fill prescriptions, manage patient files and prepare medications. It is a Diploma of Vocational Studies course.
Secretarial Studies
This 800-hour course will not limit a graduate to simply being a secretary or administrative assistant but delivers skills to handle record keeping, light accounting and other office functions. Students learn efficiency in a workplace environment, and how to produce, update and proofread business texts. Additional instruction covers word-processing, database and spreadsheet software, telecommunications tools, labour law and bilingual text writing.
Customer Service
A 540-hour customer service course in which students will learn how to greet customers, give them information and help them with their demands. Date to be announced.
Mistissini
Trucking Class Three
This 330-hour course teaches students to drive trucks with two axles and a net weight of 4,500 kg or more and trucks with three or more axles. These students will be instructed on hauling a trailer or semi-trailer that is only used to transport equipment, tools or furnishings.
Ouje-Bougoumou
Starting a Business
This 330-hour course will teach students the skills they need to become entrepreneurs. Start date still to be determined.
Waskaganish
Courses starting this winter.
Trucking Class 3
For anyone looking to become a truck driver in the north, this 330-hour course will teach students how to drive a truck with two axles and whose net weight is 4,500 kg or more, or a truck with three or more axles. With a fast-growing population and lots of development, this is a position that will always be in demand.
Recreational Vehicle Mechanics
An 1800-hour course that teaches students equipment maintenance, repair and proper verification of vehicles as well how to read, draw and interpret the specifications of each model. They also learn the safety rules for these kinds of vehicles as some can be used on construction sites. This is the perfect job for anyone who enjoys fixing skidoos, seadoos or ATVs.
Bus Driving
This 330-hour course will teach students how to drive a bus and obtain a Class 2 driver’s license. If you’re interested, look for upcoming announcements.
The SRVTC
Over at the Sabtuan Regional Vocational Training Centre in Waswanipi, a large number of courses are being offered and housing is available for small families who wish to stay in the community while a family member is training.
The following programs will be offered in 2019.
Drilling and Blasting
This 900-hour course is geared towards teaching students how to drill and blast on a professional level. They will learn how to master the use of equipment, learn safety and regulations and understand how the many components of a construction site work together.
Industrial Construction and Maintenance Mechanics
This 1800-hour program teaches students how to master the equipment they have to operate, assemble, repair and maintain this equipment and other circuits, interpret drawings, specifications and technical documents, draw sketches and diagrams and also learn all of the safety involved on a construction site. Date to be announced.
Recreation Leadership
This 1290-hour program is perfect for a person who loves to plan activities for everyone to enjoy. From basketball tournaments to traditional events for the whole community, Recreation Leadership technicians are the folks who plan the social calendars to keep everyone buzzing.
Jewellery Making
With the growing popularity of Indigenous designers in Canada, this 1800-hour course is timely. It will teach jewellery design, creation and repair as well as techniques like welding and brazing. They will be taught moulds and settings, get to produce a small collection of jewellery, learn how to make tools and learn some selling techniques. As Indigenous designers are blazing their own trail on the runway, it’s a good time to offer a Jewellery Making course as the interest in Indigenous fashion and design has never been greater.
Ore Extraction
This 930-hour course is geared at getting students on the mining sites. This course is about mastering equipment operation, basic geology and explosives principles, equipment maintenance, drawing and reading drilling and blasting patterns, preparing blast rounds and development headings as well as worksite safety.
Surveying and Topography
In this 1800-hour course students will learn how to master surveying instruments to gather topographic data, specify and mathematically transform technical data, graphically portray surveys on a drafting table or computer, lay out a building and know safety regulations.
Truck Driving Class 1
This is a 615-hour course that teaches students how to plan trips, drive on different types of roads, vehicle maintenance, and fuel and time efficiency.
Northern Heavy Equipment Operations
A 900-hour course that teaches the basics of the trade, like infrastructure construction, equipment mastering, maintenance of equipment as well as safety and regulations. This program will begin in the spring. With so much construction in the north of housing, infrastructure and natural resource development, there is a need for heavy equipment operators who know how to use these machines when it’s minus-30 degrees.
Construction Equipment Mechanics
An 1800-hour course teaches students to perform routine periodic maintenance and mechanical work, how to inspect and target mechanical problems on construction equipment and find technical information, perform repairs, replacements, adjustments and equipment tests. Spring 2019.
Mining Mobile Mechanics
A 720-hour program that teaches the maintenance and repair of mining equipment. Spring 2019
Machine Operations Mineral and Metal Processing
This 900-hour program provides instruction on the machines and tools of the industry, how to maintain them, to interpret information relating to ore processing, and job safety.
Northern Quebec
Staying close to home to continue your education is never a bad idea, especially in the early years of a degree. For those who would prefer to not stray too far from Eeyou Istchee for their education, the options below may be for you.
Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue
With three campuses in northern Quebec, Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue offers Indigenous-adapted and -focused programs to go along with its regular certificate and preparatory programming. With programs like First Nations and Inuit Accounting and First Nations and Inuit Administration as well as its “Session d’accueil et d’intégration Premières Nations” to help you choose the appropriate education path, the Cégep wants its Indigenous students to succeed. And while its Amos and Rouyn-Noranda campuses offer courses en français exclusively, its Val-d’Or campus has English options.
Cégep Saint-Félicien
For a career that allows you to enjoy the great outdoors, and if your French is more than functional, Cégep Saint-Félicien’s main campus located near Lac Saint-Jean offers several courses focused on tourism and wildlife. The Milieu Naturel (“natural environment”) program focuses on sustainable development that prepares students for a career as environmental technicians. The Soins infirmiers (nursing) program prepares students for Quebec’s tough entry exam into l’Ordre des infirmières et des infirmiers du Québec.
Additionally, Cégep Saint-Félicien’s Chibougamau branch, the Centre d’études collégiales à Chibougamau, has been working closely with the communities of Eeyou Istchee to provide college training requested by the Cree residents of northern Quebec. All training programs developed with communities are aligned with the regional labour market and are provided in either French or English.
This February, the second Cree cohort in the Mineral Resources Geology Training program begins, while the Eeyou Eenou Ituun program, designed in collaboration with the Cree Trappers’ Association with the aim of transferring the knowledge of the tallymen to the next generation of trapline stewards, will begin in Fall 2019. The Eeyou Eenou Ituun program, as well as the school’s instruction in management, childcare services and tourism are taught, if requested, within the communities of Eeyou Istchee.
Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT)
While all of their programs are viable options for First Nations students looking for higher education, UQAT has developed specific courses adapted to the unique cultural and learning approaches of First Nations and Inuit. The goal of these courses is to use teaching styles and class resources that incorporate Aboriginal perspectives and use course material and class examples that reflect Indigenous realities. If you’re looking for university education near Eeyou Istchee, check out the variety of culturally sensitive programs that UQAT has to offer in English.
Aboriginal Studies
- Undergraduate Short Program in Aboriginal Studies
- Undergraduate Short Program in Aboriginal Tourism Management
- Undergraduate Short Program in Childhood-Family Intervention in Aboriginal Context
- Undergraduate Short Program on Employability and Career Development in Aboriginal Context
- Certificate in Aboriginal Studies
- Multidisciplinary Certificate
Education
- Certificate in Primary Education for Substitute Teachers
- Bachelor in Preschool Education and Primary Teaching
Management
- Certificate in Human Resources Management
- Certificate in Administration
- Certificate in Management and Regional Development
- Bachelor in Business Administration (through completion of multiple certificates)
Creation and New Media
- Certificate in Visual Arts
- Certificate in Digital Creation
If you’re looking to study in French, UQAT offers all of the same programs with a few additional options en français. The school also has its own First Peoples Pavilion in Val-d’Or and its doors are always open.
Colleges in Southern Quebec and Ontario
For those looking to branch out without having too long of a commute home for the holidays, the options below may be the best fit.
Algonquin College
With three campuses in Ottawa, Pembroke, and Perth, as well as international exchange programs, Algonquin College has been a popular choice for Eeyou high-school grads for years. The college offers 322 Ontario college programs, five bachelor-degree programs, and a plethora of online and apprentice programs as well as continuing education opportunities. The college hosts the Mamidosewin Centre, an Indigenous student centre that assists Indigenous learners in a respectful, culturally informed way. In Anishinaabe mino-bimaadiziwin means “the good life” and the centre tries to make that teaching a reality for the students looking to them for help and support.
Champlain Regional College
An English-Language Cégep with campuses located on Montreal’s South Shore (near the Longueuil métro station), the Eastern Townships (in Lennoxville) and Sainte-Foy (Quebec City), Champlain offers pre-university courses as well as technical education and training programs. Familiar with Indigenous populations, the college has been a partner of Kahnawake’s Adult Education School Council and has adapted some of its programming for Indigenous students.
Dawson College
Located in the heart of downtown Montreal, Dawson is one of Quebec’s largest Cégeps. Known for its theatre, photography, design and science programs, Dawson boasts an active Indigenous Student Association and First Peoples Initiative that seeks to Indigenizing campus life.
For students looking to wade into their post-secondary career, Dawson also offers the Journeys program, a one-year transition course designed to provide First Nations, Inuit and Métis students with a welcoming, holistic, supportive and culturally relevant environment for learning at the post-secondary level.
John Abbott College
Located in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue on Montreal’s West Island, John Abbott has hosted its Indigenous Student Resource Centre since 1990. In collaboration with Indigenous communities and institutions such as the Cree School Board, the centre has developed programing and provides services that address the unique needs and perspectives of Indigenous students.
The school also offers Crossroads, a two-semester program designed to prepare Indigenous students for the expectations of college life as well as to guide them into the pre-university or career program of their choice.
Vanier College
Located in Montreal’s multicultural Saint-Laurent borough, Vanier is an English-language Cégep renowned for its arts, science and technical programs. Vanier offers pre-university programming that helps its students decide what post-secondary path fits them best.
Like the other schools, Vanier has its own Indigenous Circle called the A’no:wara Indigenous Student Centre that hosts events and supports Indigenous students socially and academically. The college also offers an Indigenous Studies certificate.
Universities
For those looking to apply to university in the fall, the list below is a small sample of what the country has to offer at the post-secondary level. One of these schools and programs may be for you, but if not we know there’s a school and program out there that will suit your needs. And we know wherever that may be you’ll do great things. And we hope that after you get your degree, you will find your way back home to help continue building the Cree Nation.
Bishop’s University
Bishop’s is a small English-language university located in Lennoxville (next to Sherbrooke) on the traditional and unceded territory of the Abenaki. The year 2016 marked a turning point in Bishop’s approach to relationship with Indigenous peoples. That year, Abel Bosum gave a convocation speech to their graduates and received an Honorary Doctorate in Civil Law. Since then the university has done its part to ensure Indigenous students feel welcome. They currently have an Indigenous Liaison Officer, as well as an Indigenous Cultural Alliance, and the Turtle Island Internship where students have the opportunity to share and promote their culture with the larger student body. Bishop’s shares its campus with Champlain Regional College making it an ideal landing spot for anyone who wants to start at the pre-university level and transition into university courses.
Carleton University
Carleton is located in Ottawa and hosts a multitude of Indigenous initiatives, groups and policies aimed at bridging gaps and creating a healthy environment for Indigenous students. The Ojigkwanong (Algonquin for morning star) Centre and the Carleton Centre for Indigenous Initiatives work in unison to support Indigenous students and create linkages between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Carleton has a protocol allowing students to request a discussion activity when discussions on Indigenous issues create tension in the classroom. Kinàmàgawin (Anishinaabe for learning together) is a film and workshop a student or teacher can request for a class to take to discuss Indigenous issues in a classroom without alienating anyone.
Concordia University
Concordia has two campuses in Montreal – one downtown and another in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. The university has a well-established Aboriginal Students Union that’s always ready to support and assist its members. And for the future filmmaker, Concordia’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema is widely regarded as one of Canada’s best film schools. As several Concordia alumni now populate the Nation office, we can say, impartially, it’s the warmest, most welcoming and best university in Montreal.
McGill University
McGill is one of the most prestigious universities in Canada and located in the heart of Montreal. The First Peoples House hosts an annual powwow and does its part to keep the Indigenous student body engaged. The university offers an abundance of Indigenous-focused programming including Global and Indigenous Health Nursing, Indigenous Studies, holds a mandatory weeklong course called Indigenous Legal Traditions for law students and hosts an Indigenous Awareness Week every September. McGill also offers a 30-credit program in Cree, and Inuktitut for those would like to better understand their language with a focus on its written form. The program can be taken independently or in unison with its Bachelor of Education for Certified Teachers program. In Fall 2018, the student body voted overwhelmingly to change the university’s Redmen sports team name after an Indigenous student athlete raised concerns.
OCAD University
The former Ontario College of Art and Design is now a university and has become one of Canada’s foremost art schools. Located next to the Art Gallery of Ontario in the heart of Toronto, OCAD offers the programming and guidance to build all the skills necessary for a career in the visual arts. They offer a four-year Indigenous Visual Culture program, a studio-based arts program that incorporates the culture and socio-political history of Indigenous Peoples.
Trent University
Located in Peterborough, Ontario, Trent University was the first Canadian post-secondary institution to dedicate an academic department to Indigenous Studies. Today, the department has become one of the largest in the country with some of the most uniquely Indigenous course offerings, like Indigenous Environmental Studies, Niigaaniiwin – The Art of Leading, a diploma in the Foundations of Indigenous Learning, as well as a PhD in Indigenous Studies.
University of British Columbia
For those interested in a career in health or law, UBC, located on Vancouver’s Burrard peninsula in Musqueam territory, might be for you. In 2002, the UBC Aboriginal admission program set a goal to graduate 50 Indigenous doctors by 2020. In 2015, they hit their target and continue to celebrate Indigenous student success. The school also offers through its Allard School of Law, a specialization in Aboriginal Law and is home to the Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health, the Museum of Anthropology, a longhouse and a reconciliation totem pole.
University of Manitoba
Home of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg has an extensive list of Indigenous programing. From social work and health science to business and engineering, the school prides itself on its Indigenous programs and assisting Indigenous students access to any academic discipline they choose.
University of Ottawa
In 2015, uOttawa adopted the TRC’s 13 principles of Indigenous education and strives to deliver that in the classroom. The school hosts the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program (ATEP), a three-year community-based certificate course whereupon completion, candidates are recommended to the Ontario College of Teachers for certification and for the Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT) designation.
University of Toronto
With campuses located in downtown Toronto and the neighbouring city of Scarborough, the renowned U of T has been challenging McGill for the title of Canada’s most prestigious university for years. The school has a strong Indigenous presence with its own Indigenous Initiatives Office, Indigenous Students Centre, Centre for Indigenous Studies, an Aboriginal Law faculty and a resident Elder on campus.
Rules to live by with Justin Heritage
A former CSB post-secondary grad imparts the advice he wishes that he’d followed.
- Save Up!
Moving down south is expensive, especially if you need school supplies, furniture and a laptop. So, do your best to set aside some cash, it will save you some stress.
- Go Grocery Shopping!
My first year of college all I ate was fast food and I was always broke. Preparing your meals weekly will save cash and your six-pack.
- Step by Step!
Remember to break tasks down into steps and only focus on the step in front of you. Thinking too far ahead is a great way to get overwhelmed and discouraged.
- Leisure is a Privilege!
Sometimes you will have to do work that you will not like. Admitting it sucks can be empowering. Suffer now so you don’t suffer later. It will be worth it in the long run.
- YouTutor!
YouTube is a great resource for school, cooking and working out. The how-to videos saved my life more than once.