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NSCC and the Unama'ki Economic Benefits Office celebrate Graduates
November 23, 2009 – Media Release
Port Hawkesbury, NS – Mi'kmaq graduates joined friends and family on Monday, November 23 to celebrate their successful completion of skills training through a unique partnership between the Unama'ki (Mi'kmaq for Cape Breton) Economic Benefits Office and Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC).
Graduates from the first class of Environmental Monitoring and the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership – Foundations programs received certificates of completion during a celebration at Waycobah First Nation School. These two programs along with the Aboriginal Women in Trades program were recently created with funding through the national Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership (ASEP), the Unama'ki Economic Benefits Office and NSCC. The programs prepare learners with the skills they need to enter the workforce or to continue their education in a field of their choice at NSCC.
"These graduates, with their newly acquired skills, will now have an opportunity to participate in new industries that are emerging in Cape Breton, such as environmental remediation," says Alex Paul, Director of the ASEP Training project with the Unama'ki Economic Benefits Office. "We will continue to work with our partners to offer training that allows graduates to work in established and emerging industries in our local economy."
The programs began in June, 2009 and are being delivered in each of the Unama'ki Mi'kmaq communities as well as at the Marconi and Strait Area Campuses of NSCC.
"I want to extend my congratulations on behalf of NSCC to the graduates of this unique program. We're proud of your achievements and the lasting impact you will have on your community and Nova Scotia's economy," says NSCC president Joan McArthur-Blair. "We are pleased to work with the Unama'ki Economic Benefits Office and their ASEP program to offer community-based skills training to First Nation communities in Cape Breton."
About NSCC
NSCC is a vibrant post-secondary institution committed to building Nova Scotia's economy and quality of life through education and innovation. NSCC offers over 100 programs in five academic schools that reflect the labour market needs and opportunities of the provincial economy, and serves the province through a network of 13 campuses. According to NSCC's most recent survey of graduates (2008), 92 per cent of NSCC graduates are employed; 88 per cent in their field of study.
For More Information
Natalie Kenrick
NSCC
Communications Specialist
(902) 491-2213
Kathleen Cameron
NSCC
Communications Specialist
(902) 491-4899
Stacey Baillie
NSCC
Director, Communications
(902) 491-6781
