Sound advice from employers

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To build the future, you need: a foundation - education; building material - knowledge; and tools - information.

All the necessary ingredients for the "Blueprint for the Future" were available as Saskatchewan hosted the National Achievement Foundation's Aboriginal Youth Career Fair at the Centre of the Arts in Regina on Jan. 21.

One thousand students streamed past more than 50 tradeshow displays.

The kids came from Regina high schools and around the province.

"Being at this trade show," said Melanie Beug of the Royal Bank (a major sponsor of the event), "gives us an opportunity to get out into the community and access a lot of school students, especially from northern communities, that we would otherwise never meet."

CIBC also generously sponsored the career fair. Representative Marilyn Frey said interaction with the students helps her understand the challenges Aboriginal youth are facing and how that will match with what CIBC can provide.

"In high school, students don't really know what is out there for future employment - usually career trade shows target university students - so this provides a unique opportunity."

Tradeshow displays ranged from university and training facilities to financial institutions, government agencies and private industry.

Charlie Sutherland, behind the booth for Thyssen Mining Construction of Canada, encouraged young men and women to pick up literature on the mining company he has worked for since 1965. Originally from Beardy's First Nation, Charlie explained the various jobs in the mining sector, from work underground to office support positions.

Pierre Rancourt, vice-president of Canadian operations for the organization, said the company employs 70 people at its Regina office, which is headquarters for North and South American operations.

"We have seven job sites here in Saskatchewan, one in Ontario, one in Montana, another in Nevada. We also work in Chili and Brazil," said Rancourt.

"In Northern Saskatchewan all four job sites are joint ventures with Aboriginals making up at least 50 per cent of the workforce." Usually students know family or friends that work as miners for the company and they send resumes directly to the headquarters in Regina, but potential employees don't always know what opportunities exist.

"The jobs with our company range from trainers to office clerks, laborers, mechanics, electricians, engineers, equipment operators.

There's more to it than just breaking rock," Rancourt said.

Usually Thyssen Mining Construction of Canada promotes itself at mining trade shows. Setting up a booth at the Blueprint for the Future said Rancourt, "is a way for us to promote our industry to a different audience."

Steven Charles, 41, of LaRonge, is finishing his Administration degree at the University of Regina. He stopped by at the career fair to meet his daughter.

"Pretty good things are happening around here," said Charles. He came back to University after "lots of exploring" and working at many other tasks and now he wants to share that knowledge with others.

"There is a recovery wave sweeping across Canada. It is prevalent that students who went to residential schools are rebounding and crawling up now to be more effective in helping this new generation," Charles said.

Donna Highway, who has a family of seven at home in Pelican Narrows, Sask. has gone back to high school after a 15-year absence.

"I'd like to be a teacher's aid or social worker," said Highway. "I don't want to be dependent on welfare. You can succeed, if you go for it, finish your education. You need it to get work."

Garry Sanderson, a youth worker with Saskatchewan Social Services, was one of more than 60 speakers at the career fair. He graduated in 1998 with a Bachelor in Social Work. A Metis from Yorkton, Sask. Sanderson told the students to stay in school because school is just as hard, if not harder, when you get older.

"I had a dream of doing something different than working 12-hour days forminimum wage. The choice is yours. You can pick a career now, or dig ditches until you decide," said Sanderson. After explaining many of the characteristics of the social work field, Sanderson told the students there is more to choosing a career than money.

Keynote speakers also brought the stay in school message to the students.

Amid cheers and hoots, Aboriginal actor Adam Beach brought his success story to the podium.

"When I was 16, my dad sat me down and said 'Adam, what do you want to do with your life? What do you want to be?' He gave me a week. I knew my favorite subject was drama and I liked to participate and I was good at it. When dad asked me again, I said I wanted to be an actor and his jaw dropped. I was from the north end of Winnipeg, from a family of painters, carpenters and welfare recipients and I wanted to be a movie star."

None of Beach's family had ever left Manitoba and it was hard for him to see as far as Hollywood.

"I wondered how a little Indian boy like me would get there!" Adam Beach got there. He is 26 and has been in the business for 10 years.

Beach said when he was looking for the path to becoming an actor there was no Blueprint for the Future.

"Take today as your start and find that dream inside. Have a passion for the things you do. Love yourself while you are at it," he said. "I hope you can climb the ladder I am climbing, feel what I am feeling, because it feels pretty darned good."