New business program has international focus

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The Saskatchewan Indian Federated College (SIFC) has started a new three-year pilot project that will prepare students to do business on the international stage.

The college is offering a new Certificate in Business Administration program with an international component, which includes a course on import and export of the international market and an international internship.

The program is designed and delivered by the SIFC's Indigenous Centre for International Development (ICID), in partnership with the School of Business and Public Administration, and Northern Campus.

The department of Foreign Affairs has provided funding for the three-year pilot, after which time the administration of the college hopes to include the new program in the SIFC curriculum.

The first offering of the new one-year program started in September with seven students at the SIFC Regina campus. The curriculum of the program focuses directly on international Indigenous and First Nations band level business processes, said Kerrie Ahenakew, program co-ordinator.

SIFC has 25 international partners with which internships for the program can be developed.

In February 2003, the students will spend two-and-a-half weeks in Mexico City and Chiapas, Mexico on an international internship. While in Mexico, the students will take classes at the Chiapas University, which offers a business masters program, and will visit the Canadian Embassy.

"Next year it may be Chile or Guatemala-somewhere different," Ahenakew said.

The applicants to the program are required to have completed their Grade 12, but do not need to have any prior knowledge of business.

"So far the students are doing extremely excellent. We have seven girls-five of the girls are mothers, and they are so dedicated. I couldn't have asked for a better bunch," said Ahenakew.

"Since it is a pilot project, we wanted to keep it small. We were originally going to take 10, but then we just stayed at seven . . . the seven people we picked out are remarkable, outstanding."

After graduating, the students will be employable nationally or internationally, Ahenakew explained, or they could choose to be entrepreneurs and "open their own business and take it back to their community.

"By all means, their opportunities are endless."