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By Shari Narine
Windspeaker Contributor
EDMONTON
The Alberta government is hoping that the $500,000 it announced on May 9 for the Trade Winds to Success Training Society will give more people like Des Thomas the chance to succeed.
The Trade Winds graduate spoke passionately Tuesday morning about how the program, the people in it and the tradespeople he encountered turned his life around.
“I started to make some different choices, and different people started to come in to my life and at this time I was introduced to the Trade Winds to Success program,” said Thomas, who is now a journeyman pipefitter.
“My life would not be what it is today without Trade Winds to Success.”
Thomas, a father of three, said he and his fiancée made the decision for her to stay at home and raise their children after their youngest, now two years old, was born. Without a well-paying job, they would not have had that option, he said.
Indigenous Relations Minister Richard Feehan and Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt joined forces to announce the $500,000 grant to Trade Winds.
Alberta Advanced Education contributed $300,000 and Indigenous Relations contributed $200,000.
The grant will support a 16-week pre-apprenticeship program offering academic upgrading and skills training.
Feehan said the money was “another step toward honouring that commitment” his government made to strengthen its relationship with Indigenous people and to provide them with the same resources and opportunities as other Albertans.
“Alberta’s Indigenous population represents one of the strongest growing and fastest growing sectors of our population and for Alberta to truly realize its future we will need the contribution of our Indigenous partners, which is why funding this program is so important,” said Schmidt.
He noted that this grant was just one of more programs and initiatives his department was undertaking to support those in the trades sector.
“This is another important step in ensuring that Alberta’s Indigenous population can realize their dreams and take part in these important opportunities so that they can embark in rewarding and impactful careers in the trades,” said Schmidt.
Darlene Paradis, business outreach liaison with Trade Winds, said the money will be used to help 50 to 80 more clients complete full academic training and the shop portion of the program. The funding will also help students pass the Alberta Industry Training exam up to Level 4 depending on the trade and tutoring up to Level 5. She said the work would be undertaken with 11 First Nations and Metis communities in northeastern Alberta and Trade Winds was looking to expand in other areas of the province.
Trade Winds incorporates Indigenous culture into its program and hires trainers who know and understand the Indigenous community.
Trade Winds began in 2006 and since then has produced over 1,200 Indigenous tradespeople.
Trade Winds also receives funding from the federal government, Indigenous partners and industry partners.