Northern Lakes College to host employment and life skills camp at Slave Lake Campus

Twelve Aboriginal youth have a unique opportunity to participate in the Aboriginal Explorers Career Camp, a five-week program in which high school students will experience work life and living on their own. The youth are visiting from communities throughout northern Alberta, including High Prairie, Dawn Lake, Sucker Creek, Driftpile, Smith and will reside in Northern Lakes College’s Slave Lake Campus Student Residences.

The program will run from July 11th to August 21st, 2016. During the first week, students will undergo a crash course in the responsibilities of young adulthood planning, purchasing food, and cooking all of their meals under the guidance of Resident Advisors. Learning valuable life skills and giving students a taste of college life, students will maintain shared living quarters in a college residence.

Before beginning the work internships, Facilitators will focus on preparing the students for employment – each student will complete First Aid, TDG, and WHMIS. The last four weeks of the program provides students with an opportunity for a paid internship with a local company that best suits their career choice. Students will earn high school credits, explore and learn hands on about potential careers, and develop transferable employability skills.

The Aboriginal Explorers Career Camp received remarkable support from local businesses and organizations hosting the students: Slave Lake Regional Housing Authority, Alberta Health Services, Tolko, Alberta Plywood, Alberta Parks, The Slave Lake Inn, Vanderwell Seniors Lodge, the Sawridge Band, and Northern Lakes College.

“The program is designed to a fun learning experience,” says Brian Panasiuk, Chair of Dual Credit and Recruitment. “We’re excited to offer participants workplace safety training and to help them form professional relationships within the organizations they pair up with. We are really happy with the response from the business community. Because of this cooperation, we were able to place each student with one of their top three industry picks.”

The camp is in partnership with Careers Next Generation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to youth employability programming throughout Alberta. Careers Next Generation is funded by both provincial and industrial sponsors.

Northern Lakes College is a Comprehensive Community Institution offering certificate and diploma programs in Business, Health Sciences, Human Services, Technology, Trades, University Studies and Academic Upgrading. The College collaborates with Campus Alberta partners to offer degree completion opportunities throughout its service region, including a Bachelor of Education. Northern Lakes College also provides a wide variety of certificate programs through its Continuing Education and Corporate Training Department.