Earlier this year, Baffinland, was working in partnership with the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) as well as Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), the Government of Nunavut and Kakivak Association, to provide strong, community-based work-ready training through QSTEP - the Qikiqtani Skills and Training for Employment Partnership.

After the in-person training of 11 Inuit participants from Pond Inlet was interrupted by COVID-19 and the travel restrictions within Nunavut, we knew we had to find a solution to continue delivering training for Inuit. 

We are happy to congratulate 9 participants from Pond Inlet for completing the five QSTEP modules and graduating as the first class of this program through online distance learning.

Through our partnerships, we were able to not only resume training through video conferencing, but QSTEP provided 10 laptops and internet data sticks to community members so they could reliably participate in online training and complete the course. The Pond Inlet graduates started their first ever distance learning course through QSTEP on August 5th and were able to successfully complete the program with ease.

The Work Ready training through QSTEP is broken down into five modules which are normally covered in person over five days and a combined 40 hours of training. The modules include topics such as:

• Overview of Work Ready Program & Self Awareness
• An Introduction to Mining
• Essential Skills for the Workforce
• Money Management
• Career Awareness and Understanding FIFO Environment

The Online Distance Work Ready Program was broken down into one to two hour sessions over 4 weeks. In addition, homework was provided for participants to complete outside of live training. After having success with the online distance format in Pond Inlet, the 10 computers were shipped to another community to continue this training.

We once again want to congratulate all our participants.

ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᐅᑎᓕᕆᔾᔪᑎᓂᒃ ᒥᑦᑎᒪᑕᓕᖕᒥ

ᑕᒪᑐᒪᐅᑉ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᖓᑕ ᐱᒋᐊᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ, ᐹᕙᓐᓛᓐᑯᑦ, ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᖃᐃᓐᓇᕐᒪᑕ ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᐃᓄᐃᒃ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᒃᑯᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓄᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓪᓗ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᖏᓐᓂ ᑲᑭᕙᒃᑯᓐᓂᓪᓗ, ᐊᔪᖏᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᑐᓂᓯᓯᒪᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓃᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕈᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᖢᑎᒃ  ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᐊᔪᕈᓐᓃᒃᓴᐅᑏᑦ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᐅᑏᓪᓗ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᑖᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂ.

ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᐅᑎᓕᕆᓂᖅ 11ᖑᕗᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓚᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᒥᑦᑎᒪᑕᓕᖕᒥ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᓄᖅᑲᖅᑎᑕᐅᑳᓪᓚᓚᐅᕐᒪᑦ ᓄᕙᖕᓇᕐᔪᐊᖅ 19 ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖃᑦᑕᕐᓃᓪᓗ ᒪᓕᒐᖃᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ, ᖃᐅᔨᒋᐊᑲᐅᑎᒋᔭᕆᐊᖃᓚᐅᕋᑦᑕ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑏᓐᓇᕐᓂᖅ ᖃᓄᖅ ᑲᔪᓰᓐᓇᕋᔭᕐᒪᖔᑦ.

ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒍᓲᑎᑦᑎᐊᖅᐸᕗᑦ 9 ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑕᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᓱᓕᑦᑎᔪᐊᓐᓅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᒥᑦᑎᒪᑕᓕᖕᒥ ᑕᓪᓕᒪᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕈᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᐅᑏᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᖑᓪᓗᑎᒡᓗ ᑕᒪᑐᒪᓂ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᒥ ᐱᔭᕇᖅᓯᔪᑦ ᐅᖓᓯᒃᑐᒦᖦᖢᑎᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᓂᒃ ᐱᔭᕇᖅᑐᑦ.

ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᒃᑯᑦ, ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑦᑎᑐᐃᓐᓇᖏᓐᑦᑕ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᐅᑎᓂᒃ ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᑕᑯᖃᑦᑕᐅᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᐅᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᖁᓕᓂᒃ ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᓂᒃ ᑐᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ ᐃᑭᐊᖅᑭᔪᓐᓇᐅᑎᓂᒡᓗ ᑲᑉᐳᑎᔭᕆᐊᓕᖕᓂᒃ ᑐᓐᓂᖅᓴᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓚᐅᑦᑎᐊᕈᓐᓇᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᔭᕇᖅᓯᓇᓱᒃᑎᓪᓗᒋᓪᓗ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᒥᑦᑎᒪᑕᓕᑉᒥ ᐃᓱᓕᑦᑎᔪᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐹᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᖓᓯᒃᑐᒦᖦᖢᑎᒃ ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᐅᑎᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐋᒡᒌᓯ 5ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓱᓕᑦᑎᓂᖃᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑕᕐᒥᖕᓂᒃ.

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕈᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎ ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᐅᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᖏᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᑕᓪᓕᒪᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐅᓪᓗᓄᑦ ᑕᓪᓕᒪᓄᑦ ᑲᑎᖦᖢᒋᑦ ᐃᑲᕐᕋᑦ 40ᖑᔪᑦ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᐅᑏᑦ. ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑏᑦ ᐅᑯᓂᖓ ᐃᓚᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ:

• ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᐅᑉ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᖓᓂᖓ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕈᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᒻᒥᓂᔅᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᕚᓪᓕᕐᓂᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑏᒃ
• ᐅᔭᕋᒃᓯᐅᖅᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ
• ᐊᔪᙱᑕᐅᔭᕆᐊᓖᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᕕᖕᓂ
• ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᓂᖅ

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᕿᓂᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖅ ᑐᑭᓯᑎᑕᐅᓂᕐᓗ ᐊᒃᑕᕐᓇᖅᑐᖃᑐᐃᓐᓇᕆᐊᓕᖕᓂ ᐊᕙᑎᖃᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ.

ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᖓᓯᒃᑐᒦᑦᑐᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕈᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎ ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᒪᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᖅ ᒪᕉᒃᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐃᑲᕐᕋᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓯᕐᓄᑦ ᑎᓴᒪᓄᑦ. ᐊᒻᒪᓗ, ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒥᖕᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑕᐅᔪᒃᓴᑦ ᑐᓂᔭᐅᓯᒪᓚᐅᕆᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑰᕈᓐᓃᕋᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᒐᒃᓴᖏᑦ. ᐱᔭᕇᖅᓯᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᒥᑦᑎᒪᑕᓕᖕᒥ, ᖁᓕᑦ ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᑦ ᐃᓱᓕᑦᑎᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᓇᒃᓯᐅᔭᐅᓚᐅᕐᒥᔪᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᑲᔪᓰᓐᓇᖁᓪᓗᒍ.

ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒍᓲᑎᑦᑎᐊᖅᐸᕗᓂᓛᒃ ᐃᓱᓕᑦᑎᔪᐊᓐᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑕᕐᒥᖕᓂᒃ.