Company Tour

The company tour is a vital component for the participants of the Arctic Youth Leadership program, one that sets our program apart from other wilderness based programs. This tour educates the students about the different job and career possibilities within subsidiaries of both IDC and Nunasi. AYL participants visit education facilities, and make connections with key players in providing both trades and academic studies. While visiting these agencies and facilities the youth are introduced to human resource personnel who can help them select and navigate career paths and job opportunities. The youth are introduced to career opportunities, some of which they did not know existed or were open to them. This tour can be described as a travelling career awareness week. During this tour students are introduced to academic studies one day and the next day try their hand at applied trades.

"I didn't know that I could do that as work or it was open to me."

The company tour was developed and sponsored by NorTerra Inc., in 2006. The tour helps participants to build an awareness of different career and occupational paths available to them, and attempts to provide an educational roadmap to help them achieve their career goals. To date, the tour visits include these companies: Weldco Beales Manufacturing, NorTerra Inc., Northern Transport Company Limited (NTCL), and this year the group toured the Northland Utilities.

Each tour takes the group to different departments in each company, where a representative explains what they do in their department and for their company, and what education is required to enter that position. These visits often reinforce aspects of leadership that the students learned on the river course. The youth hear how using positive and progressive work ethics with determination are primary elements of any success; these concepts are delivered by the employees up to the CEOs that take time to approach the students.

"I have so many choices now to choose from to study."

In Edmonton the tour also visits Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and Grant MacEwan College. At NAIT the students visit the Encana Aboriginal Student Centre, and at Grant MacEwan College the Aboriginal Education Centre, to learn about the different services and supports available to them if they decide to continue their education there. Seeing the different services allows the students to realize that they are not alone if they move away from their home communities to attend post secondary education.