Half a million???? Training Centre???? Programs maybe.

IT???? Courses via internet????

Good luck!!!! Personally I think a big waste of money.

Do it right in the first place. Face to face with high quality instructors and they might get some successes.

Bang on gus!
A complete waste of our tax dollars!

Why re-create an entire structure of learning centres that are already in place with the colleges and the University ?

Exactly lunarguy.

isn't this a little bit of reverse discrimination?
for first nations only?
I have no doubts had that indicated whites that all hell would be breaking loose...
what are we suppose to expect...of course this is just fine...

Micheal Richards had a great rant on this matter a few years ago.
Basically the gist of his rant was that there are Black colleges, and Hispanic only facilities, etc all through all the major Races, yet if just one College proclaimed itself White, it would be labeled as racist.

White middle class males are the contemporary minority.

We really need to get past this stupid racial bias. Unless the special interest groups are not capable of being successful in a racially unbiased environment. (poke the bear)

I also have noticed very little regional aboriginal art. It is all Coastal aboriginal style. Even our local aboriginal artist learn and produce the Coastal style.

"White middle class males are the contemporary minority"

Yeah, I know I feel oppressed every single time I leave my house. I can barely walk the streets without fears of being discriminated against in a job interview, attacked by a mob, or having people walk to the other side of the street when walking with a group of friends. The hardships I face as a white man are almost unbearable. LMAO.

Yes more waste....it just gets better and better! As said above

"Why re-create an entire structure of learning centres that are already in place with the colleges and the University ?"

I want to see numbers! What is shelled out and what is given back...Where or how can we get this info?

As a taxpayer funding these goofy programs, am i not allowed to see the paper trail?

BCracer there are more than just Natives and "Whites" in Canada. Secondly, anything that helps get people into jobs is a good thing. There are more than enough programs for "Whites" to help them get back into the workforce. Does it really matter that they are getting a separate program to help them out? When they cancel all the programs for "Whites", then maybe you have something to complain about.

Getajob. Why dont you look at the paper trail for

(1)Airport Runway Expansion
(2)Cameron St., Bridge
(3)Charles Jago Northern Sports Centre
(4)CN Centre
(5)Ice Oval, and the Case of the missing gravel.

These projects cost millions upon millions of dollars of taxpayers money, and we get next to nothing in return. Follow the paper, see how much was paid out to Contractors, Consultants, etc; it would be mind boggling, and would take your attention away from a measly $400,000.00 being spent in Vanderhoof.

Palopu Wrote "Getajob. Why dont you look at the paper trail for

(1)Airport Runway Expansion
(2)Cameron St., Bridge
(3)Charles Jago Northern Sports Centre
(4)CN Centre
(5)Ice Oval, and the Case of the missing gravel.

These projects cost millions upon millions of dollars of taxpayers money, and we get next to nothing in return. Follow the paper, see how much was paid out to Contractors, Consultants, etc; it would be mind boggling, and would take your attention away from a measly $400,000.00 being spent in Vanderhoof."

These projects above are for ALL people. The project in Vanderhoof and other areas, as i read it....is for ONE group...Huge diff ...Just asking for fairness for all in this great land.

Why can't they go to the college in Vanderhoof or Fort St.James like anyone else?
These colleges are always struggling with funding for programs and they do a damn good job inspite of that.
This is an insult to them!

Guess some people never heard of affirmative action. Lots of pros and cons about that.

I agree with NMG. If you cannot put yourself in the shoes of someone in a minority situation then learn how to do it and comment from that point of view. The purpose is to create successful programs.

We have had some great examples of trying to educate aboriginals in a non-aboriginal system using non-aboriginals. We are still trying to overcome that many decades later.

We do not need to make the same mistakes.

Aboriginals go to UNBC, CNC, and other educational institutions. Some do really well, others do not.

If they think that they can do better with programs that make more sense to their culture, then so be it.

The cost will be much more than what is shown in the article, though, plus I question the methodology used for delivering the programs.

From my experience, programs that have lots of hands on experience led by people who have solid practical experience and understand what mentorship means and have succeeded with such programs in the past will get the greatest results. Fine, couple that with video and computer technology, but do not put the primary emphasis on such technology based training methodology.

It would be nice if some of the people who comment would do a bit of research before they spouted off. Example: before scoffing about gaining education via the internet, either take such a course or investigate how many institutions such as our colleges and universities are offering valid, accredited courses via the web. I think it is absolutely wonderful that training opportunities such as these exist, and are cost effective.

As "getajob" correctly noted, there is a lot more money wasted on far less productive projects. Shall we talk about the performing arts centre? Or the new builing on the corner of Queensway and 17th that costed, I believe, in the neighbourhood of 5 million dollars and houses 30 homeless people. If anyone with common sense had been involved in that one, there would probably have been a massive revamping of the existing motel. Even at $3,000 per suite, the thing would have costed less than a million and housed in the neighbourhood of 75 people adequately. Am I wrong? No. I give you the example of the old Jacobs Motel which is now housing low income people quite adequately.

And, talk about waste. Why is there a relatively new building on the corner of Queensway and 5th, which was built to accomodate the Ministry of Social Services, and a scant few years rendered unneccessary? Why is it empty? Why are the taxpayers of this province paying for the heat and utilities, etc. required to keep this building intact, whilst other ones are being built since?

Let's not be pointing a racist finger at a First Nations that is trying to better their people before we clean up our own act.

BTW, we do pitifully little to address the needs of aboriginals with respect to assisting them with education compared to the USA. People in the USA seem to be proud to carry their card that says that they are 1/8th, 1/16th, etc. "indian".

More importantly, we do not celebrate their successes.

Take a look at this magazine from the USA.

http://wocmag.com

There are "special" prgrams for all sorts of people to enhance their chances of succeeding. Pre trades programs for women. Pre college programs for people who are weak in math. GED programs for those who did not finish high school. Reading for comprehension for those who have difficulty focusing. ESL for those whose mother tongue is not English. Programs to study for LSAT, MSAT and other entrance examinations.

The list is long. In fact, one of the educational methodologies is to deal with the hurdles to progress. If that happens to be a cultural hurdle, so be it.

willowynde ...

My post was about the quality of education proposed for this program. There is not enough money there to present a proper program, let alone a "training centre", even if it is in rented space in an existing building. Even if that space is in CNC, they will want to get paid for it.

People have different learning styles. No matter what culture one is from, those involved professionally with training, teaching, and educating know that students learn better when they are actively engaged in processing new information in meaningful ways. There is no better way to do that than in a face to face mentorship system.

IT based information can augment that in the case of those who can assimilate information in that fashion, but never replace that.

I would suggest that this program was set up by the feds so it could partner with Community Futures. This is another way of keeping the staff employed rather than on the 'cut' list. We really don't need any more lay-offs but handouts aren't the answer either. Catch 22

I have heard the culturally sensitive teaching method stuff before. Tell me, when the graduate, are they going to get jobs in culturally sensitive trades? Thats the problem here. we want to train people and the govt caters the learning experience to suit the natives culture. However, at some point, the native student graduates and must then fit into society in general. Its makes no sense.
I agree that the money is insufficient to do anything real, since it is aimed at reinventing the wheel. Put the money into the existing facilities, recruit more natives if you want, but train people to get work in the real world, or don't train them at all.

The article speaks about "partnering" (meaningless buzz word) with the local community futures for the business skills component. Coupling that with supertech's comment, I went hunting for other examples of such "partnering".

First hit on bing was http://www.cfdcofcifn.com
Community Futures Development Corporation of Central Interior First Nations - Kamloops.

words ..... “To provide a forum for community/group/ individual interaction and co-operation, to provide programs and services based on a First Nation's approach and a First Nations generated concept, to assist with Human Resource and Skill Development. To have acknowledged and incorporated life styles and geographic's into our programs and services. Also to utilize strategies consistent with cultural patterns and learning styles, promote the development of self-esteem and a positive Native economic development identity…..”
http://www.cfdcofcifn.com/ConsFS.pdf 2008 Financial Statements.
Revenues include $422,810 Western Economic Diversification and $4,758,266 from Mountain Pine Beetle funds

What is the full story in Vanderhoof?

Notice that the Sto:lo have their own community futures office. http://www.stolocf.com

When are they going to stop wasting tax payers money on these programs that are not going to work anyways.
Pouring money into these things is like throwing money in the Nechako River!
It floats away never to be seen again and does not do any good.

Let's look at another way.
People come to Canada from all over the world and they have to deal with the same educational standards as anyone else.
And in many cases,they are at a disadvantage because their understading of english is very limited.
But they do it.
So why does there have to be different standards snd methods for first nations people?
If you do the research,a lot of these programs have a very poor success rate for a number of reasons.
One of the biggest reasons they do not go over well is attendance and lack of dedication to whatever course they are taking.
Who makes them show up for class and who will ensure they do the work on the internet?
Many first nations students also get paid to attend.
So the question remains,do they go for the education and training,or do they simply go for the money?
Should they get funding if they do not complete the course or bother to show up?
I mean no disrespect to first nations people, but this is one of those things that appears to go nowhere and yet it is ongoing.
At a time when money for colleges and universities is tight,is it right to fund these special programs when there is already the means to educate available for everyone?

I am part of the UNBC program. What I see on a daily basis is aboriginal (First Nations) students who are dedicated and competing with all students in their classes. I wish many of you could see what I see.

Andyfreeze. You have hit on some of the very reasons I have the opinion - my experience with this results in that opinion - that the keys to success include excellent and very practical instructors and a presentation of the material in the context of work through a mentor system.

Any sort of distance education without that will fail miserably in a large part of the population that is likely to turn up to take these programs.

One only has to look at past cases such as this to see the reasons for failure.

As far as UNBC, goes, that is a completely different situation - different programs, different aptitudes and different attitudes.

UBC has a some good successes as well. They have a special program that assists aboriginals in the transition to University. UNBC has a version of that as well.

BTW, there are programs to transition others into the various types of eduction programs as well. The more specific they are to the "special" needs of the various groups, the more successful they are. After all, that is the purpose of such programs so that money is not spent on getting the people to class and then seeing them fail in larger numbers than the norm.

Here is another example of such a transition program for gifted students. Why should they not just simply be thrown into University? After all, they are gifted and can manage such difficulties by themselves.

http://www.vsb.bc.ca/vsbprograms/kto12/apfe/VSBUBCTransition.htm

For those who are unfamiliar with the First Nations House of Learning on the UBC campus, here is their site.

http://www.longhouse.ubc.ca

Well said gus!
I sometimes wonder if the government ever considers any of this when they start handing out money?
Where is the accountability?