Seven students have graduated from a 10-week housing maintenance/essential skills program that was held at Keeseekoose First Nation.
The course, which was a partnership among Parkland College, Keeseekoose First Nation and the Yorkton Tribal Council, began with five weeks of building construction skills which included elements essential to employability, including numeracy and mathematics, Gail Gorchynski, the program co-ordinator for Parkland College, said last week. That portion was instructed by Rebecca Lawless of Kamsack.
An objective of the course is to open doors for students to work in their own communities in housing maintenance or into other carpentry positions, Gorchynski explained. The doors are open so that students may be better able to decide what other related fields they may want to enter, such as drywall, electrical or framing.
Some may wish to continue with carpentry taking courses at other institutions, she said, adding that at least three of the students have already applied to an electrical program.
All-in-all it was a successful program with more than half of the original enrolled students having completed the course, she said. Chris Hanson of Yorkton, the instructor did a great job, teaching different techniques and strategies including blueprint reading.
The students had all constructed insulated doghouses and outdoor chairs and as a group they made an ice fishing shack which was donated to the Keeseekoose Chiefs Education Centre as thanks for having allowed the students to take the course at the school.
