Standing shoulder to shoulder with Orano, Cameco, Athabasca Health Authority, RCMP, QM Points, Athabasca Basin Development, and other local firms, Rise Air joined in supporting Keewatin Community Development Association’s (KCDA) annual fly in career fair. This fair is designed for Indigenous youth and older graduates seeking employment within the communities of Black Lake, Wollaston Lake, and Fond du Lac.
At each school the event is split in to two sessions, one for younger students and the other for those between grade 10 and 12. This gives the different age groups more time with each of the exhibitors. The older students can ask career-specific questions, while the younger ones can ask more broadly about the world of work and life after grade 12.
Rise Air’s part in sponsoring the fair Included planning support and freight shipping. Supporting the dreams and ambitions of our youth is incredibly powerful and we were honoured to provide transportation for these organizations and their representatives into the north to inspire the next generations.
Tracy Young-McLean, Rise Air’s Vice President, Human Resources and Corporate Services said, “We are thrilled to collaborate with the KCDA. We’re 100 per cent owned by the communities that we serve, and we have a clear goal to employ more Indigenous community members.
We want community members to know that we are committed to increasing the number of Indigenous employees from the Athabasca region through our recruitment practices. A key part of this is being present in the north to have conversations with community members about the opportunities that we have. We welcome Indigenous people with all levels of education and experience to help build a more inclusive and representative airline.
We are also glad to see that SIIT, Northlands College and FNU were all present at the fair to help people plan and actualize personal goals to achieve everything from professional certificates to degrees and more”.
Cara Greyeyes, KCDA Program Manager, “I feel that we’ve had tremendous success, and I believe that the successes that we have is from the powerful messages our young professionals bring to the youth about education and we’ve had so much support from the local community as well as the Athabasca Basin companies.
Daniel Redekopp, RCMP, “All of the events has gone very well, in my opinion. I enjoyed it. This is about the fourth or fifth time that I’ve done this event and I always look forward to it. The kids’ take away is just the opportunities that are out there for them. I never had something like this when I went through high school, so doing this for these students is great for them to have that opportunity”.
Glen Sigstad, Team Drilling, “it was great to see students that are interested in careers and opportunities out there. It’s great to see the knowledge they have in their interest in certain careers, certain trades and stuff like that. Also get their opinions on what they actually want to do when they grow”.
Allison Strong (right in photo), Athabasca Basin Development, “What did they gain from coming to this event? I think it’s confidence because they were asked to ask questions and step out of their comfort zone. Some of them, maybe they’re not used to speaking to strangers in a professional sense.
Paiton Tegstrom, Northlands College, “I think it’s important to have this event because it’s absolutely imperative to meet communities where they are at. It’s not always accessible for people to come down south and go to school. So, it’s really important for us to know that there are options within our communities and also build those relationships that we can hopefully bring in more programing, where it is needed and what’s needed”.
Emma Blondeau, Flyer Electric, “It was great to speak with many students all ages to learn about their passion and to talk about the different education paths and opportunities available to them. Being part in helping navigate the endless opportunities by speaking with the students was empowering because they are the leaders of tomorrow. When you enjoy what you do then everyday is a great day which I felt was important to express to every student to let each one know that they can pursue their passion into a career.
Dan Gold, Rise Air “This was an incredible event to be a part of. As you looked around the room, you could see the engaged students listening to the inspirational stories from the on-stage speakers Allison Strong, Dene Robillard, and Brianda Robillard.
Depending on the grade of the student, they asked very different questions. Many did not know that their community was an owner of Rise Air and quite a few thought that pilot jobs were the only ones we had as an airline.
When the students listed their interests from computers to math, art, and science, it was important to show them that their skills were ideal for different parts of an airline operation. From IT, administration, and management to engineering and being a pilot. It’s important to show a direct link between success at school and the opportunities that they can achieve”.
We are committed to returning to the KCDA Flying Career Fair in 2024 and beyond!
Images: Athabasca Basin Development.
