EDUCATION & TRAINING

1. Post-Secondary Education Support

2. Job Readiness & Skills Training

4. Youth Programs

 

3. Adult Learning & Continuing Education

Alan Jeremy Sewid

  • My name is Alan Jeremy Sewid, and in 2017, I graduated from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in marine biology and minoring in Indigenous studies. The time I spent at university was challenging but very rewarding. I am left today with great memories and friendships that will last a lifetime, on top of the degree I earned. Completing my degree was no small feat and may not have been possible without the help of the band. Witnessing the student debt that my peers would take on to pursue their educational goals further increased my appreciation. Adding the financial stress of university on top of the course work may have been too much to overcome, but fortunately, that never became an issue, for which I say Gilakasla.
University of Victoria

Chip Mountain

  • YO, GILAKAS’LA
    My name is Chip Mountain, son of Caroline Mountain, grandson of Ethel and David Mountain. I’ve spent the last five months working for our Nation as a Guardian. Before working for our Nation, I was an SAP Operations manager at Superstore. I enjoyed working for the company; however, I found my heart was no longer in it. I ended up taking a few courses through JIBC. I started with Bylaws 1 & 2, foundations of conflict resolution and negotiation skills. During this time, I found a new passion for learning. One I never thought would happen as I struggled a lot with Secondary School.

    After completing the courses through JIBC, I still wasn’t sure what I wanted from life. As luck would have it, I received a phone call from Frances regarding taking the Stewardship Technician Training Program (STTP) through VIU. I was very hesitant to take this course because I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I ended up graduating as one of the top three students in the course. I became dedicated to learning with the help of some of the amazing instructors, Greg Klimes, Alan Hobbs, and Sarah Greenway, to name a few from VIU. Sean Coddaughton from Inlailawatash, an excellent and funny archeologist, and three remarkable women from Nanwakolas, Charlene Everson, Angela Davidson, and Heidi Kalmakoff, who kept us all motivated.

    When I finished the course, our Nation offered me a job as a Guardian, and I jumped at the opportunity. Our Nation registered me for a few additional courses; Small Vessel Operator Proficiency (SVOP), Restricted Operator’s (Maritime), and Small Non-Pleasure Domestic Vessel Basic Safety courses through NIC.

    The last five months have been amazing. I’ve utilized the skills I learned through VIU to perform kelp, eelgrass, and archeological surveys. The wildlife monitoring of Grizzlies in Hoeya Sound and Lull Bay has been breathtaking, to say the least. We worked together with WCMRC about oil spill response within our Nation’s territory. We’re also working with Dead Boat Society to help clean up derelict boats along our Nation’s shores.

    In closing, I would like to thank our Nation for presenting me with this opportunity; Jake Smith for teaching me how to be a Guardian and about our Nation’s history. I would also like to thank my wife and two children for pushing me to take this opportunity and making me feel like I was good enough to go back to school, as well as the VIU/MasterCard Foundation for funding my schooling.

    Gilakas’la,
    Chip Mountain

Vancouver Island University

Richard Gladstone - Rockie Mountain - Charlene Bee

  • Richard Gladstone, Rockie Mountain, and Charlene Bee successfully completed an invaluable training program through Nawalakw, which partners with various organizations to provide essential opportunities for Indigenous learners. This comprehensive course, part of Indigenous Tourism BC’s initiative, equipped them with vital skills, from frontline customer service to Indigenous storytelling and safety certifications like FOODSAFE and First Aid.

    By completing this training, Richard, Rockie, and Charlene are now empowered to lead with cultural pride, honouring their ancestors while contributing to the growing field of Indigenous-led tourism in British Columbia. Their success story stands as an inspiring example of how Indigenous training initiatives are paving the way for future leaders in tourism and beyond.

Indigenous Tourism BC

Norma Louie

  • Yo, Gilakasla. Nugwa’um Putl’idi.
    Hi, Thank You. My name is Norma Louie, and I am a single mother of two beautiful children, ages 3 and 6. I graduated from the Vancouver Career College with an Office Administrator Diploma class of 2020, I completed a 12-week Discovery to Apprenticeship program, I completed a Blade-Runners Employment training provincial program, and now hold a steady job with the Namgis First Nation as Treatment Centre Office Assistant. I moved to the big city at a very young age to better my life and find better opportunities for myself. In recent years, living on the lower mainland, I took every opportunity that came my way. The Discovery to Apprenticeship program helped me get into Piping Industry College in Annacis Island, Delta B.C., where I completed my 1st-year apprenticeship in Piping in 2013. The Blade-Runners Employment training provincial program helped me with a variety of certificates such as First Aid, WHMS, forklift, scissor lift, TCP, and many more, which helped me gain more work experience in the field. In 2019 I was accepted into the Accounting and Payroll at VCC, I faced a lot of obstacles, my children were still young, but I was determined. I had to be out of the door at 6 a.m. to take the transit bus and sky-train to drop my children off at daycare and make it to my 8 a.m. class every day, but I did it. I also applied for bursary awards, and I was awarded the New Relationship Trust Foundation bursary for $2000.00. That helped me a lot, I felt so much pride when I received it because I truly did work so hard for it. I remember this one day in class my classmate asked me, “Why am I so special to get free education?” I did not know how to answer, so I ran out of my class as fast as I could and cried. I only had a few family members in the city who were there for me, along with some lifelong friends I have made. It was very lonely; I cried a lot. But I knew I wanted this for myself, and I couldn’t be more proud and grateful that I did this for myself so I could provide and do everything I could for myself and my children and also be able to give back to my community.Gilakas’la
    Norma Louie
Vancouver Career College

Elizabeth Mountain

  • In November 2022, Elizabeth Mountain proudly completed the Health Care Assistant Program, marking a significant milestone in her journey toward providing compassionate and dedicated care. Through the program’s comprehensive curriculum, including the Cooperative Work Experience, Elizabeth gained essential skills in person-centered care, understanding the physical, psychological, and social well-being of her clients.

    Her training, recognized by the BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry, has equipped her to provide care for clients facing complex health and cognitive challenges. Today, Elizabeth is ready to serve her community across various care settings, embodying the principles of dignity, respect, and personalized support for each individual she cares for.

    Her success stands as an inspiring testament to the program’s mission of preparing graduates for impactful careers in health care, where they can make a difference every day.

Discovery Community College

Carla Duffey

  • Thank you to Mamalilikulla Band for giving us opportunities to try new things. Twyla posted a post in august about a Graphic Recording course that we could apply for. They accepted three people from each region (pacific, mid, Atlantic, and north Canada).
    The course consisted of five three-hour Zoom classes where we learned about Graphic Recording from Sam Bradd of Drawing Change Consulting. I did not know what graphic recording was when I applied. I had no clue what a big thing it was and is becoming. Rather than taking point form word notes on paper, graphic recording is a mix of drawings and words to create a recording of what was discussed at meetings, forums and any type of online zoom meet-ups. They are done digitally by drawing on a tablet or drawn on large paper with ink alongside the meeting.This course was sponsored by CIER (Center for indigenous environmental resources) and was aimed at doing a few workshops about SARA (species at risk act) with the end result being applying for a contract with CIER to do a recording of one of the workshops they offer.

    It was a wonderful experience and has opened a whole new door of options for me. I have enjoyed getting back into drawing again and learning all the knowledge that has come from the Zoom meetings I have attended. I already have one job in the future for Graphic Recording at the R.I.E.P (Rural Island Economic Partnership) forum in April.

    Thank you to all who made this happen.
    Carla Duffey

Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources