Sabtuan Regional Vocational Training Centre (SRVTC)

Réjean Gascon, Director of SRVTC

The mission of the Sabtuan Regional Vocational Training Centre (SRVTC) is to:

“Promote and facilitate the social and professional integration of adult residents in Eeyou/Eenou Istchee by delivering services to increase their abilities, competencies and qualifications so they may enter the socio-economic industry better prepared and with the highest confidence.”

In addition to vocational training, the SRVTC delivers Adult General Education, Socio-Vocational Integration (SVI), and Essential Skills programs.

Vocational Training

With our mission in mind, the following vocational programs and services were offered at SRVTC during the 2015-2016 school year:

Northern Heavy Equipment Operations
Surveying and Topography
Semi-Automatic Welding
Warehouse Management Training
Starting a Business
Northern Building Maintenance
Mining Mobile Mechanics
Professional Cooking
Truck Driving 1

Continually meeting the ever-changing needs and demands of the Eeyou Istchee region as well as its students is an on-going and collaborative initiative. The staff at SRVTC prides itself on having worked in collaboration with both organizations and individuals alike within and outside the region to ensure a continuation of quality programming this past year.

Thirty-three students graduated during the 2015-2016 school year. We have the highest expectations for these graduates and are confident they will move on to be successful contributors to our nation's growth.

Adult General Education

The Adult General Education program finished the 2015-2016 school year with three (3) students obtaining their Secondary V diploma. They are:

Matthew Bullfrog
Olivia Gull
Roger Shecapio-Neeposh

Every effort was made this past year to accommodate our students’ busy schedules. Our teacher customized his classes to meet the changing needs of his students to include day, evening, and weekend classes ensuring optimized opportunities for success. He worked closely with parents, the Education Consultant, as well as the Socio-Vocational Integration (SVI) teacher to ensure that students received every advantage.

Honorable Mention

Special mention to graduates Matthew and Roger Shecapio-Neeposh who obtained two diplomas each through hard work, dedication and commitment.

Social Aid Technician (SAT)

Additional measures were put in place to support every aspect of our students’ physical, social, and cultural well-being. Intervention and prevention measures, as well as extra-curricular activities were offered throughout the school year.

Every effort was also made to foster and develop students' sense of pride, belonging, and unity. Group activities such as Christmas dinners, movie nights, and much more were offered to both staff and students alike on a regular basis.

The SAT representative participated in the first annual health fair to ensure the extra-curricular programs and services we provide to support students are continuously updated.

Socio-Vocational Integration (SVI)

SRVTC recently added a complementary component to its programming. SVI courses and individualized support services to assist students in their quest to secure and maintain gainful employment. This on-going program delivers skills training and follow-up sessions whenever possible.

Essential Skills

SRVTC continued to offer the Essential Skills program this past year to all students upon registration in a vocational training program. It is offered as a complimentary service and aims to increase student success by equipping them with the skills, competencies, and knowledge necessary to successfully navigate their vocational program. Seventy students benefited from the combined efforts of the SVI and Essential Skills programs.

Special Events

SRVTC 10-Year Anniversary

The SRVTC celebrated ten years of operation this past year. We organized several fun and successful events to mark this special occasion.

Open House – April 21, 2016

Approximately 300 people attended our Open House event from both Waswanipi and the surrounding communities. We focused on making this a hands-on and participatory event, so students could have a first-hand experience of the programs and services offered at the SRVTC. Interactive games were organized and prizes drawn. We received many positive comments by those who attended.

10-Year Anniversary Banquet – April 21, 2016

A banquet was held in honour of the SRVTC’s 10-year anniversary. An elaborate meal was prepared and served by former students from the Professional Cooking and Food and Beverage programs. Some 120 people were invited. Special guests included our Chairperson Kathleen J. Wootton, Director General Abraham Jolly, Waswanipi Chief Marcel Happyjack, SAES Director Pierre Desjardins, and former SAES Director Charles Matoush.

Storekeeper, Willie Martin, was formally acknowledged for his 10 years of service. A moment of silence was paid to the late Nancy Mianscum, another long-time employee. Special thanks to Nian Matoush for acting as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening.

Other SRVTC Activities

Golf Day with Staff and Students, September 2015
Welcome Day for Students, October 2015
Visit to the Cree Cultural Institute in Ouje-Bougoumou, February 2016

SRVTC Improvement Objectives

Base Zero Project

In 2014-2015, we began the project of returning SRVTC to its original state. I am happy to report that this objective was met during 2015- 2016 and will continue to be an on-going process ensuring the Centre remains a safe and clutter free zone allowing it to focus on quality, state of the art programming.

Over the past 10 years, a vast variety of material was accumulated and stored rather than appropriately disposed of. Most of this equipment and material has now become obsolete and or in a state of disarray making it no longer profitable to keep. Proper disposal of this equipment has allowed us to concentrate on and accomplish the following priorities.

Process to conform to CNSST (Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail) standards was completed this year
90% of SRVTC has been painted and workshop spaces have been restructured or reorganized
$1.3 million in grant money has allowed us to purchase new, state of the art equipment

To Prioritize Health and Safety at SRVTC

The beginning of the school year was spent observing and evaluating the efficiency and reliability of the current emergency plan. An emergency plan has now been implemented for the centre and a committee has been established to ensure up-to-date and ongoing monitoring.

We are now officially CNSST compliant.

To Develop Consistent and Attractive Programs for 2016-2021

Offering quality programs and services is a joint and on-going initiative. As the needs and demands change, the Eeyou Istchee region is no different. For this reason, our focus this past year was to build partnerships both within and outside of the region. We closely surveyed and evaluated the needs of the region as well as the employability opportunities offered outside of the area.

With the collaboration of many team members from within the SRVTC, SAES, Cree Human Resources Department (CHRD), and other school boards, we are proud to offer the following courses and services as our focus for the next five (5) years. It would be remiss to say, however, that our region is static. We need to continuously focus and strive at making certain the SRVTC meets the employability needs and opportunities of the region.

Our new programs include:
Mining Mobile Mechanics
Surveying and Topography
Northern Heavy Equipment Operations
Northern Building Maintenance
Warehouse Management Training
Semi-Automatic Welding
Starting a Business
Water Plant Operator
Flight Regulator
Ore Extraction
Machine Operations, Mineral and Metal Processing

We believe that not only will these diverse and relevant programs attract more students, but they will lead to better job opportunities. It has also infused the Centre with increased diversity amongst its teaching staff.

Equally noteworthy is the increased partnerships on a whole, and as well as the direct collaboration within the community. This has vastly improved communication and has increased the quality and quantity of joint projects benefiting both SRVTC and the community as a whole.

To Review All Administration Procedures in Place at SRVTC Before the End of the School Year

A large part of this work was completed this past year. In addition, Martine Ottawa created an operations manual which contains all support staff operations. This manual details the daily duties of each employee following a step-by-step process. This will serve as the basis for developing an IMS, as well as for redefining the job descriptions of all SRVTC staff members.

Group Effort

Finally, the SRVTC would like to thank all of the staff, teachers, and community partners who contributed to increasing and benefiting the overall success and achievement of our students. This collaborative effort allows us to offer quality programs and services, and to be prepared to respond to labour market needs in the Eeyou Istchee region.