Where to take your first step into vocational programming this fall

Meeting needs for education and career training, the Cree School Board is always hard at work to provide the best programs available to as many communities as possible.

If you want to train for a new career, brush up on your skill set or move up in the field you are already in, there are numerous programs being offered in most Cree communities.

Between now and February 2016, the following courses will be offered in various communities. Please inquire locally about when each program will begin as many of the start dates have yet to be announced. All of these courses could be subject to cancellation depending on the number of students who register in each.

Chisasibi: Home Care Assistance; Construction Business Management; Starting A Business: Accounting

Wemindji: Mining Mobile Mechanics; Semi Automatic Welding

Waskaganish: Accounting

Nemaska: Northern Building Maintenance; Home Care Assistance; Plastering

Matagami: Electricity

Mistissini: Machine Operations, Mineral and Metal Processing

Oujé-Bougoumou: Carpentry; Trucking Class III

Waswanipi: Recreational Leadership; Hotel Reception; Trucking Class I

Washa Sibi (TBD-SRVTC):  Secretarial Studies; Starting A Business

Home Care Assistance: This 975-hour program is ideal for those looking to help the sick and infirm within their own communities, this home care assistance program is about learning the proper training to provide basic care and services for those in need.

Construction Business Management: In this 450-hour entrepreneurial course students will learn how to manage a business that offers general services or specialized services in the construction sector. Students study how to estimate costs relative to the project, prepare proposals, negotiate contracts, plan outlines for work sites, carry out projects and manage the quality of the work. It also covers how to hire personnel, how to negotiate purchasing of materials and how to manage a company’s accounts and finances.

Starting A Business: If you have ever dreamed of starting your own business, this course will offer you the basics on how to do your own books, manage staff and many of the other fundamentals involved. Covering the basics of how to make a business plan and how to manage projects, this 330-hour course is geared at getting you on the right track to realizing your entrepreneurial dreams.

Accounting: This 1350-hour program is ideal for those who want to acquire basic accounting skills, such as calculation and preparation of bills, invoices, receipts, and payments for a business. The program also features instruction on how to manage petty cash, produce payrolls, price calculation, accounting tasks and fiscal year end activities, income tax form preparation and accounting systems.

Northern Building Maintenance: Geared at handymen (and women), this 1320-hour course teaches students how to maintain buildings in northern communities. Taught in a classroom as well as using real-life situations, students will learn how to fix a wide variety of building-related problems, including basic plumbing and heating systems.

Plastering: This 810-hour program teaches industry-standard skills to those who want to become professional plasterers. Students learn how to use a trowel or a machine, do calcareous plasterwork on different surfaces, run metal moldings, pull joints on gypsum sheets, do stucco work, run plaster moldings, and how to apply pre-cast ornamental plasterwork.

Machine Operations, Mineral and Metal Processing: For those interested in working with machinery related to mineral and metal processing, this 900-hour course can lead to a versatile career. It covers how to master and maintain equipment operation, interpret information relating to ore processing and methods, prepare control tests, use related computer software and safety regulations.

Electricity: Running at 1800 hours, this course will teach would-be electricians how to install, repair, modify and maintain circuits, electrical and electronic systems, and communication networks, how to interpret drawings, specifications, technical manuals and maintenance procedures, and how to verify the voltage, current and power of electrical circuits.

Carpentry: This course is key to stable employment in building housing, infrastructure improvements and the projects created by the mining boom. Students will learn about constructing, erecting, maintaining and repairing wood structures, wood substitutes and other materials. Running at 1350 hours, the course covers project management, how to read and produce drawings, specifications and sketches, learning how to build, install, insulate, set and finish every section of a building, building insulation, soundproofing and ventilation, working in a team, assessing client costs and necessary safety precautions. Graduates will also learn how to work with: concrete forms, wood frames and steel bulkheads, projects that involve making joints, assembly work, erecting and repairing wood and metal parts, applying interior and exterior finishes and landscaping projects.

Secretarial Studies: This 1485-hour course is for the person who enjoys helping others in a professional working environment. It will teach you to be efficient and effective in a workplace environment, to produce, update and proofread business texts, to use word processing, database and spreadsheet software, use telecommunication tools, offer basic understanding of labour laws and how they apply as well as bilingual text writing.

Mining Mobile Mechanics: This course is geared towards training students to be mobile mechanics for the mining industry who are capable of upkeep, diagnostics and repairs for the heavy equipment at a mine site. For more information, such as prerequisites, course hours and a starting date, you should contact the Cree School Board.

Semi Automatic Welding: This course is about how to become a professional welder. More information is available from the Cree School Board.

Trucking Class 3: In this Class 3 truck driving course, students will learn how to drive a heavy straight-body truck, like a twin-axle truck with a net weight of 4,500 kg or over, any truck with more axles, and a road vehicle covered by a license of that class with a semi-trailer. Find out more from the Cree School Board.

So, whether you are ready to begin a new career or just want to look into what kind of credentials you would need to get into the vocational program of your choice, that journey begins with one big step. Are you ready to take yours?