The Educational Partnership Foundation (TEPF) is pleased to share the Seven new graduates of the Indigenous Trades Careers Insulator Heat and Frost program who recently celebrated their success at the Bullhead Community Centre on Tsuut’ina Nation. This eight-week intensive course equipped participants with crucial industry skills and safety credentials recognized across the sector.

TEPF is proud to drive forward the mandate to encourage more indigenous youths to explore a career in the trades. First Nations are severely underrepresented in the trades, by offering free courses to First Nations, TEPF hopes to expose indigenous youth and young adults to explore what opportunities are available to them with a career in the trades.

“We’re always very proud of our graduates for their dedication to the program and grateful to our training partners,” said Angie Lachance, TEPF’s Alberta High School Trades Manager. “These young adults have now acquired skills that will launch them into a new career.”

This program was a collaborative effort between TEPF and Insulators Local 110. Indigenous young adults in the program were trained in the Insulators Local 110 facility by experienced journeypeople, learning hands-on skills to prepare them for the workforce. Among the graduates, six have already secured apprenticeship positions with AlumaSafway in Fort McMurray, heralding a significant step forward in their professional lives.

The ceremony, held in conjunction with the Tsuut’ina Nation Trades Career Fair on March 28th, marked not only the culmination of rigorous training but also the beginning of promising careers for these aspiring young professionals.

“A career in skilled trades is a viable, well-paying career option,” said Lachance. “Our programs give students hands-on exposure to new opportunities and have the ability to change lives for the better.”

The Insulator Heat & Frost program is part of TEPF’s broader Indigenous Trades Career Program which promotes trades careers among young adults, offering them a pathway to gain employment directly after training. Participants in the program benefit from learning in world-class facilities under the guidance of experienced journeyperson trainers, which prepares them for the workforce. TEPF also runs Indigenous High School trades programs and High School trades programs in which students can earn credits while trying their hands at a skilled trade career.

Interested candidates can find more information and apply at TEPF’s Trades Careers Page.