The 2008-09 Residential Construction class in front of the recently-completed “NLC House” in Dawson Creek.

DAWSON CREEK – Residential Construction students at Northern Lights College celebrated a special achievement on April 29.
 
The class of six, along with instructor Mark Heartt, hosted an open house at a newly-built home located at 9625-15th Street in Dawson Creek.
 
What made this open house special was that the students had just finished constructing the house as the practical portion of their Residential Construction trades program at NLC.
 
“They started right from the ground up. They dug the hole, put in the footings, the foundation, and even did the painting,” said Heartt. “They were pushed very hard to complete this task. I think every one of them today is pretty darned proud, and they should be. They met a goal, and that’s very rewarding.”
 
The latest “NLC House” is the fifth to be built in Dawson Creek by Residential Construction students. NLC students also have built two houses and the new airport terminal in Chetwynd.
 
But this is the first time in the history of the program the students have completed the house project before the end of classes, including seeing the “for sale” sign in the front yard. The only parts of the house they did not do was drywall, plumbing and electrical.
 

This is how the recently-completed “NLC House” looked in mid-October, when students spent a sunny autumn day pouring concrete.

Heartt said that the plans used for this 1,100 square foot structure allowed the students to complete the project. For example, building a single-storey house eliminated the need to work at various heights.
 
“The project itself was a little more reasonable to build than in previous years,” Heartt said. “It was a little less complicated, but not less functional.”
 
Students were involved in every aspect of the planning and construction process. The work started on Sept. 27, 2008, and was completed in 76 shifts over eight months. And, this year for the first time, the students were involved in project managing, including tracking expenses and making sure the project stayed within budget.
 
“This is the students’ work. I may have shown them how to trim a window, but they did the rest,” Heartt said. “This house could be here for 75 to 100 years. Several generations will be able to drive by and see it. This is something left behind by these students, and that’s what I like about it.”
 
The class was comprised of Megan Biddulph, Garrett Dunn, Kristin Gostick, Ward Moffat, Drew Robinson and Tyrone Watson.
 
For more information on Trades and Apprenticeship programming at NLC, call 1-866-463-6652 or go to the website at nlc.bc.ca.

Students from School District 60 experienced the Automotive Service Technician and Esthetics and Nail Care Technology programs during the YES-2-IT event held at NLC’s Fort St. John Campus.

FORT ST. JOHN – More than 350 grades 8-10 students in School Districts 60 and 81 gained hands-on experience in Dual Credit programming available at Northern Lights College through YES-2-IT events held recently in Fort St. John and Fort Nelson.
 
YES-2-IT (Youth Exploring Skills to Industry Training) is a joint initiative of the Industry Training Authority (ITA) and the Ministry of Education. At NLC, YES-2-IT events provide students with the opportunity to learn about Dual Credit programs available on campus or through distributed delivery.
 
“YES-2-IT events provide the opportunity for students to experience potential education and job opportunities in a hands-on environment. The students get the chance to see the options available to them in their own backyard, and to begin envisioning what their career paths might look like,” said NLC’s recruitment manager Kristina Van De Walle.
 
A unique aspect of YES-2-IT is its focus on hands-on involvement, as students are encouraged to try out aspects of their selected programs through activities that are developed and overseen by participating program instructors.
 
Hands-on participation has increased in the past two years, thanks to contributions from EnCana and the ITA.
 
Last year, steel-toed, slip-on safety shoes were purchased by EnCana to allow students greater access to trades’ shops. This year, sponsorship from EnCana and the ITA allowed the purchase of hard hats, gloves and welding smocks, thereby allowing even more hands-on involvement. The event also received sponsorship from Northern Opportunities.
 
“EnCana was pleased to team up with Northern Lights College to help fund region-wide YES-2-IT events,” said Fiona Liebelt, EnCana’s community relations analyst for Fort Nelson and Peace Country. “EnCana has operations in the area but, more importantly, has staff whose families live and work in the area. Strengthening the communities we work in is of great importance to our corporation. We believe in safety as a fundamental of our daily work. To sponsor some of the safety equipment for this event was an easy decision as it aligns with our company principles.“

Raysa Abril in the Aerospace Centre at the Dawson Creek Campus of NLC.

DAWSON CREEK ~  Raysa Abril was 16 years old and did not speak English when she left her home in Colombia to experience life in Canada.  She enrolled in English as a Second Language courses for two years before deciding to follow in the footsteps of an uncle, who is a pilot and mechanic. Abril enrolled in the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering program at Northern Lights College.

I heard this was one of the best schools there is for Aircraft Maintenance Engineering”,  Abril said.  “Reputation is definitely one of the reasons why I decided to come to Dawson Creek. A lot of people recommended Northern Lights College. I definitely recommend it.” 

Abril, who is now 20, recently completed the 15-month program. She said that the program helped open her eyes to the various career options available and the skills required to succeed in the aircraft maintenance field.

For example, Abril said she expected a focus on the hands-on and mechanical aspects of the field. But she was very surprised by the emphasis placed on neat and organized files and paperwork. 

 ”The program has definitely given me a good basic understanding of what is necessary to succeed,”  Abril said. “It has opened more options to me. I learned about helicopters, and I even got some welding experience. The program makes you aware of a lot more possibilities.” 

Despite the importance of the work of aircraft mechanics in ensuring safe flights around the world, aircraft maintenance can be an underappreciated field because much of the work is done out of the public spotlight.

“It’s a field where everybody sees the pilots, but nobody sees all the people who work on the plane, ” Abril said.  “You get on a plane and it is ready to fly, but there’ s a whole world of people involved that no one knows about.”

The Aircraft Maintenance Engineering program at NLC is based in the Aerospace Centre at the Dawson Creek Campus. The program is 15 months in length, and the next intake of students starts in September. For more information or to register, call 250-782-5251 or 1-866-463-6652, and ask for a Recruiter.

Skylar Brown, a Fort Nelson Secondary graduate of 2008, has been highlighted as a star student for Northern Opportunities. Skylar enlisted in the cosmetology program at FNSS in her final year of high school. She had worked at a salon for 4 years prior to taking the program. Skylar explained, “This position helped me develop excellent communication and people skills and fueled my interest and passion for cosmetology. Also my mom is a hairdresser so it has always been a part of my life.” Skylar commented on what a wonderful opportunity it was to be a student and learn a trade at the same time. 

Skylar has earned her Certificate of Qualification through the Industry Training Authority and is continuing to record her hours of work so she can apply to write the Inter-provincial Red Seal Certification Exam. Currently, she works at Charlie’s Girl Salon part-time and attends Grande Prairie Regional College full time.

During Skylar’s interview she stated, “I intend to continue to practice the trade of cosmetology, endeavoring to develop my skills. I also plan on continuing my studies at college in the science and education departments. I eventually may decide to work with a chemist and create my own hair care line.” She has also expressed interest in teaching the cosmetology course to the next generation of eager hair stylists. Skylar hopes to inspire more students to pursue an opportunity like this. It has been awesome!

Well done, Skylar.

Aircraft Maintenance Engineering and Welding were two of NLC’s Dual Credit programs available to School District 59 students during the Feb. 18 YES-2-IT event at the Dawson Creek Campus.

DAWSON CREEK – Approximately 160 grades 9-10 students from throughout School District 59 had the opportunity to sample Dual Credit programming available at Northern Lights College.
 
The students visited NLC’s Dawson Creek and South Peace campuses on Feb. 18 for the annual YES-2-IT (Youth Exploring Skills to Industry Training) event.
 
The event allows the students to learn about Dual Credit programs available in Dawson Creek or through distributed delivery.
 
“YES-2-IT is a chance for students to take information home so that parents know more about what Dual Credit is,” said Lorelee Friesen, recruiter for the Dawson Creek Campus, and organizer of the event. “They learn which programs are available for Dual Credit, and they get important information on the prerequisite courses needed in secondary school to qualify.”
 
A unique aspect of YES-2-IT is its focus on hands-on involvement, as students are encouraged to try out aspects of their selected programs through activities that are developed and overseen by the program instructors specifically for this event.
 
For example, students built birdhouses in Carpentry/Residential Construction, tried different types of welding, completed a drawing in Visual and Graphic Communication Arts, tried hair dying in Hairstylist/Cosmetology, took apart a computer in Northern Collaborative Information Technology, or sat in a helicopter cockpit in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering.
 
Hands-on participation has increased in the past two years, thanks to contributions from EnCana and the Industry Training Authority (ITA).
 
Last year, steel-toed, slip-on safety shoes were purchased by EnCana to allow students greater access to trades’ shops. This year, sponsorship from EnCana and the ITA allowed the purchase of hard hats, gloves and welding smocks, thereby allowing even more hands-on involvement. Each student also got an event t-shirt, thanks to sponsorship from Northern Opportunities.
 
“Students would not be able to participate in an interactive way without the generosity of our sponsors. We would only be able to offer tours,” said recruiting manager Kristina Van De Walle. “Safety equipment is key to the success of the event but incredibly expensive when you look at the cost of purchasing it for so many students. Thanks to EnCana and the Industry Training Authority this interactivity is a reality.”
 
The safety equipment will be used at other YES-2-IT events this year in Fort Nelson on March 4 and Fort St. John on March 11, as well as in future years.
 
Dual Credit programming allows secondary school students to enrol in certain College programs, and earn credits at both levels, while still in secondary school.
 
Other Dual Credit programs that were featured included: Automotive Service Technician, Heavy Duty/Commercial Transport Technician, Applied Business Technology, Social Services Worker Diploma, Esthetics and Nail Care Technology, Early Childhood Education, Plumbing, Millwright, and Home Support/Resident Care Attendant.
 
For more information on Dual Credit programs, secondary school students should contact their school counselor. For information on NLC programming, contact the College at 1-866-463-6652 or 250-782-5251.

DAWSON CREEK – The end of November marked a unique accomplishment for four Carpentry Apprenticeship students at Northern Lights College.

 The students completed all four levels of classroom instruction towards achieving Journeyperson Carpenter status.

 Dawson Creek residents Cory Babkirk, Clayton Haugen and Cody Roberts enrolled at NLC in the Residential Construction Dual Credit program in September 2005. Jeremy Browne, who is from the Fort Nelson area, was also a member of that 2005 class.

 Babkirk joked that originally he enrolled in the Residential Construction Dual Credit program because “it sounded better than book work.”

 Now, three years later, he and his classmates leave NLC either as Journeypersons, or only needing a few more work-based hours to achieve that status. In addition, they will be working in an industry where their skills are in demand.

 “No matter how the economy is, there is always going to be a need for carpenters,” said Haugen. “Even if it gets slow in one area of the country, there will always be work somewhere. Once you have that Red Seal, you’re able to go anywhere.”

 In the Residential Construction program at NLC, students achieve a Residential Construction certificate and Levels 1 and 2 Carpentry Apprentice certificates, along with 600 hours credit toward required Carpentry Apprenticeship work-based hours.

 The Dual Credit program allows students to register in College programming, such as Residential Construction, while still in secondary school. Students can earn both secondary and post-secondary credits through Dual Credit programming. Dual Credit programming is coordinated by NLC, in cooperation with area School Districts, and is promoted by Northern Opportunities.

 Apprenticeship training cannot occur without industry support. In addition to classroom work, Apprentices must achieve practical working hours under the supervision of a Journeyperson.

 These four students have been working for High Ridge Construction and Bear Mountain Construction to help complete their training and achieve the required total of 5,000 hours.