Program puts students on the ladder to success

The First Nations Natural Resources Youth Employment Program hosted 30 young people this summer from reserves in Ontario. The goal was to develop their professional and personal skills.
The program was established to encourage young people to pursue post-secondary education, employment into forestry and mining, to increase their knowledge of the natural resources industry, and to create energy awareness. A week is spent in the science camp at the Confederation College in Thunder Bay.
The participants, ages 16 to 18, are paid to spend the summer tree planting, training in fighting fires techniques, including chain saw and brush saw use, and prospecting. This year the program lasted seven weeks.
Some of the certification earned while attending the summer program includes: Emergency First Aid, WHIMIS, Bear Aware, OH+S Awareness, helicopter safety, Workplace Hazards and, more to specific to forestry, the Environmental Management System and SFL License Holder Standard Operating procedures.
The program has been building bridges to success by providing summer employment, job skills training and the education needed for meaningful work, especially specific to forestry.
"I could go on forever about how good it is; just the youth themselves, their personal growth. They are going to be the future chiefs, counsellors, administrators and business people in the communities providing opportunities for the next generation," said Brian Kurikka, the general manager of the forestry centre at Confederation College.
"It is a very rewarding program for everyone involved. Not everyone moves into the natural resources field, but they move on to something. That's very important and that's great with us."
Some past graduates have returned to the program in a mentorship role as crew bosses.
"Over 60 per cent of the camp staff this year are past graduates of the program, so they are continuing on," said Kurikka. "Some of the people involved have been with the program the last seven years."
Matt Norris, who wants to be a lawyer, attended this year as a crew boss. It is his sixth year involved with the program. Another participant is Marco Bebassige from Thunder Bay. This is his first year with the program. He's had nothing but good things to say about it.
"I have been working at Tim Horton's for three years and wanted to try something else. All my family, they are in the forestry business, so I wanted to try it out. I really liked it (forestry) and the training, all the certificates that I got. It is a great opportunity to get all of those and to be working," said Bebassige. He's spent his time thinning and planting trees. "It was a great program this year and I really enjoyed it."
The impact this program is having on First Nations youth goes beyond keeping them out of trouble for the summer. It offers something more lasting and personal.
"The best part is definitely seeing them progress from year one through to very extremely independent hard workers at the end. Especially to see how their goals have progressed and how much more elaborate they have gotten over the years for their future goal setting," said Kurikka.
One challenge the program organizers continue to face, said Kurikka, is getting appropriate funds and currently are without permanent funders.
"Each year the program length and the number of students in the program is dependent on the funding we get for the current year. So, this year we had a seven-week program with 30 youth. Last year we had a five-week program with about 20 youth, because we were short on funding. In 2005, we had 57 youth for nine weeks because we had sufficient funding to do it. Every year it is a struggle.
"We just completed our ninth year, but every year we have been able to have a program, and I think that's the important thing. We are not going to roll over and die here. We are going to try and put something together, to keep the momentum going," said Kurikka. "It is very difficult to get long-term sustainable funding from anybody it seems."
Despite the lack of funding consistency, Kurikka said it is not for lack of willing participants. In fact, 70 per cent of first year graduates return for a second year and perhaps its only 70 per cent because of the constant flux in funding.
"If we had the funding for 150 students, we wouldn't have any problem getting the 150 students. It's very well received by the communities and the youth," said Kurikka.
The 2008 program partners include the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Canadian Forest Services: First Nation Forestry Program, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, AbitibiBowater Inc., Buchanan Forest Products Ltd, Domtar Inc., Marathon PGM, Tembec Inc., Weyerhaeuser Company Ltd., Eagle Lake First Nation, Fort William First Nation, Lac Des Mille Lacs First Nation, Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation, Confederation College / Confederation Forestry Centre, Outland Reforestation Inc. and 16 participating First Nation communities.