From left to right: Cyndi Bonn, All Roads Community Catalyst; Randy Grey, Education Catalyst; Kathi Dickie, Catalyst, Indigenous Communities
Fort Nelson First Nation and Chalo School invited CFBC team members into the community to host a month-long Trades Exploration workshop for FNFN members.
The workshop, organized and managed by CFBC Community Catalysts, Kathi Dickie and Cyndi Bonn, introduced participants to careers in carpentry, plumbing, electrical, welding, and mechanics.
Randy Grey, Luke Oullette, and Shane Roy from CFBC were also onsite to provide in-person instruction for participants to get hands-on, practical experience with tools. While Justin Young and Roy Williams joined in virtually to help participants build the soft skills to fill their career planning toolbox.
The exploration workshop introduced participants to careers in carpentry, plumbing, electrical, welding, and mechanics. For many of the participants, this was their first time getting hands-on with skilled trade related learning. Their projects and new design-build skills put broad smiles on their faces and left many participants dreaming of future opportunities as skilled trade professionals. In fact, one of the participants is moving on to post-secondary in the fall with dreams of becoming a shop class teacher to help empower the next generation!
A highlight for participants was the day spent with Eh-Cho-Dene Enterprises (ECD), a general contracting company owned and operated by the Fort Nelson First Nation (FNFN). Cory, a welder with ECD, showed students how to weld the legs for new tables that the students were building and facilitated a behind-the-scenes look at the ECD facility.
The group of students ranged in ages from 17 – 50 and all greatly enjoyed their experience. With such a range of ages, the students were a truly inspiring group, proving that they can do anything when new doors and opportunities are opened.
We would like to thank everyone involved who made this workshop a success and congratulate the participants on their great work!
