Sabtuan Adult Education Services

Pierre Desjardins, Director of Adult Education

During the 2015-2016 school year, we mobilized the personnel of the Sabtuan Adult Education Services (SAES)—including directors, coordinators, teachers, education consultants and support staff— to reinforce the quality of services offered to students throughout their time with us. We have achieved our objectives by expanding their fields of competence, their expertise and skills in various fields.

The mission of the SAES is to promote and stimulate the social and professional integration of the adult population in our territory. This year, we focused on a more personalized approach to reach the population of the ten communities we serve. We also strengthened our partnerships in order to deliver programs of higher quality, and which better meet employment needs in the Eeyou/Eenou Istchee territory.

This year, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of Sabtuan Regional Vocational Training Centre (SRVTC), located in the community of Waswanipi, during a banquet for employees of SAES. We are pleased to be renting space at the Angus Mayappo Training Centre in Wemindji and we also rented new offices in Ouje-Bougoumou, Waskaganish and Nemaska.

So much work has been done by our personnel during the past year. I invite you to read our annual report to learn more about our activities and achievements during the 2015-2016 school year.

As director of the Sabtuan Adult Education Services, I have nothing but pride toward our 2015-2016 graduates.

Theresa Mark, Coordinator of Adult Education – Administrative Services

On behalf of Sabtuan Adult Education Services (SAES), I am pleased to report on our student clientele for the 2015-2016 school year.

There was a 9% percent increase in student enrolment for 2015-2016 compared to the previous school year. The table below provides an overall picture of our registrants in both general education and vocational sectors.

General Education

Sabtuan Adult Education Services offers a wide range of teaching services in General Adult Education. A total of 557 students came to our centres in all of the nine communities over the course of the school year. Below is a breakdown, by gender, in the different areas of enrolment:

In General Education, what is usually referred to as “upgrading", a total of 461 students were registered in different areas this past school year. This number does not include those who came to write a test/exam only. Of the 461 students who registered at our centres, 18 successfully completed the requirements for a Secondary School Diploma. Below is a breakdown by community:

In addition to the students registered on the table noted above, we also had individuals who came to our centres to write the General Development Test (GDT) or take an exam. Depending on the individual’s schooling, the GDT is an entrance requirement for many of the vocational programs.

Vocational Programs

A total of 290 students followed a vocational program offered by SAES, including programs offered by our partner institutions. Twenty-nine of these programs were offered over the course of the school year in various communities, including Matagami. Thirteen of the programs concluded, and the remaining will continue into the new school year. The table below shows the graduation rate for each of the programs that concluded in each community.

In addition to the programs that concluded on previous page, the following were also offered and will carry over to the next school year.

* Number of registered students at the beginning of the program.

Luc Collette, Coordinator of Adult Education, Vocational Training

In the vocational training programs for the 2015-2016 year, we added nine new programs on top of the 14 programs that continued from the previous year. We introduced a Semi-Automatic Welding program in Wemindji, and an Electricity program in Mistissini. In Wemindji we took part in the inauguration of a new training centre, the Mayaupiu Training Institute, an event that was organized in collaboration with the Cree Human Resources Development (CHRD) and the Cree Nation Government (CNG).

Also, this year we increased our budget for rental spaces, which became necessary to adequately provide programs in more communities.

Year after year, four programs stand out as the most popular. One is the Northern Heavy Equipment Operations (NHEO) program, which has a good placement rate. Following that is the Semi-Automatic Welding (SAW) program. Next is a program in the field of oreprocessing: Machine Operations, Mineral and Metal Processing (MOMMP), from which most of the graduates were hired by the Stornoway Diamond Corporation. And without a doubt, the Professional Cooking program is another popular choice.

For the next five years, we plan to offer other programs throughout the territory we serve: another Electricity program, a Surveying and Topography program and a Heavy Equipment Mechanics program.

Sabtuan Adult Education Services works to respond to the needs of Cree communities, as well as trainingrelated organizations, whether the Customized Training Services or the Recognition of Acquired Competencies program.