Variety of paths on offer at career fair

Although the school year is still in the early goings for Kahnawake Survival School (KSS) students, it is never too soon to start thinking about the future.

That’s the message the school and the Kahnawake Education Center (KEC) were hoping to give to students at the annual career fair, held on Wednesday in the school gymnasium and featuring booths from organizations and companies in town as well as off-territory schools and programs.

That includes the Caisse Populaire Kahnawake, the Kahnawake Environment Protection Office (KEPO), the New Frontiers School Board (NFSB), and both Dawson College and Champlain College Saint-Lambert, to name a few.

Bethany Douglas is the post-secondary counselor for the KEC and has been planning the career fair for five years with KSS.

She said that having that variety of booths is important for students.

“A lot of times in my role, I hear kids say that their parents are pushing them to go to college. It’s great to push for education, of course, but it’s good to know that there are other options out there,” said Douglas.

Going to a trade school, attending the Kanien’kéha Ratiwennahní:rats Adult Immersion Program, and even going out of province for grade 12 are popular alternatives to CEGEP, Douglas said.

Grade 12 is gaining popularity as it allows students to have the requirements for university without having to take additional French classes due to the recent changes in language laws in the province.

Vocational courses like those offered by the NFSB’s Nova Career Education Centre are also gaining interest.

Job placements in those fields - including automobile mechanics, nursing and social service workers, accounting, carpentry, and welding - are yielding good results, according to development officer Marilou Thomassin.

The school offers a “Student for a Day” program, which allows potential attendees of the school’s programs to experience what it is like before signing on full-time

“I feel like students are often exposed to sitting at a desk and writing or reading all day, but these programs are very hands-on. I think it’s a new way to gain some confidence, see something new that you’re maybe passionate about, but you don’t know about yet,” said Thomassin.

If one is to go in the more traditional CEGEP route, there are some programs that fit very well with the job opportunities in the community, like Dawson College’s community, recreation, and leadership training (CRLT), a three-year technical course that aims to teach students what could be needed when working in a community organization.

That includes, broadly speaking, management skills, event planning, group working, and conflict resolution, and the possibility of going into more specific university programs afterwards like business management.

“It’s a fun program where we teach our students how to make a big impact in their community,” said Debbie Resurreccion, a staff member in the program.

Resurreccion said that the program has many graduates from Kahnawake, being a good fit for the many organizations in town.

“The reason why we come back is because they bring students to us,” she said.

No matter what they think they want to do, students are not locked into a choice now for the rest of their lives, said Samantha Diabo, a post-secondary support clerk for students.

“I myself just got out of post-secondary education, so I know the stressors of applying, thinking that the world is going to end if you don’t have all your stuff together,” said Diabo.

She said that in reality, many post-secondary students don’t know what they want to do right away, and that it is always okay to go back to school and try something different if your first choice does not work out.

“Every path is different. They don’t have to follow what their friends are doing. They don’t have to stay in Kahnawake, either. They’re more than welcome to look around. They could travel to the US. We have students in Australia. We have students everywhere. So, the world is your oyster,” said Diabo.

[email protected]