Session 25

Title: Aboriginal Apprenticeship – a New Model

Session Description:

There are many “challenges” is delivering apprenticeship training to individuals in remote northern communities as well in delivering apprenticeship training in general. Finding a flexible apprenticeship training model conducive for Aboriginal people particularly in the remote north that encompasses numeracy, literacy and work place essential skills for the trades is the starting point. Blending the delivery of a program to include distance delivery with traditional classroom and lab/shop time and with new curriculum is a solution. It is important to address access issues of Aboriginal people wanting to enter the trades and apprenticeship; therefore it is important to develop a learner centred program through a blended delivery model of training and instruction.

Presenter: Michael Cameron

Michael Cameron is the Program Manager for Trades, Transportation, and Industrial in the School of Continuing & Distance Education at Red River College in Winnipeg, MB. Mike has extensive experience in program development and management as a result of his work as a Campus Manager and Program Manager, with Confederation College in Northwestern Ontario, Director of Operations at Quetico Centre (an adult education facility in Northwestern Ontario) and owning and operating a training and development company based out of Winnipeg for 10 years. Just prior to joining RRC, he managed a Canadian Aboriginal Apprenticeship Research project to assist Aboriginal people in remote northern Ontario into the construction trades and apprenticeship. His work has taken him throughout Canada delivering training programs ranging from leadership and management courses to Aboriginal cultural sensitivity training. He is about to begin his Masters in Distance Education through Athabasca University.