July August 2004 Great Update


Six Nations band member Lyle Johnson has a good reason for attending the welding courses at OSTTC. In his 13 years as an ironworker, he has observed that the welders are always needed. They are the last to leave a job site when the other ironworkers have run out of work. And, Lyle says, learning to weld expands his abilities and is something he has always wanted to do. He has traveled as far away as New Jersey to work in the past, and he hopes with the welder’s certificate in hand, he can go right back to work for Local 721 in Toronto and simply drive to work everyday. It’s a hard life, he says, for those Six Nations ironworkers who have to leave the area to find work. Lyle says some of his cousins have had to go as far away as Kentucky and Michigan. With two children, aged 7 and 10, he would prefer to work close to home. Welding is hard and hot work. Lyle and the other OSTTC students have to wear leather coats and gloves, along with the face mask, when in the welding booth. But, he says, the eight week course and all the practice with the torch is well worth it. Lyle takes pride in his work and says its best to treat the training as a job. He advises prospective students to take the training seriously, show up everyday, practice your welding as much as you can, and work hard.
		Lyle Johnson, OSTTC Welding Student
		Lyle has seen the mistakes some ironworkers make when they choose not to work hard or even not show up to work. He says some guys just show up, put in their time, and not bother doing the job properly, simply because it’s hard to do. That attitude goes against Lyle’s beliefs, whether he’s at work or at school. He feels that any training or schooling should be taken seriously, because it’s the only way to succeed. And, he says, having a good instructor like Lyle Sandy makes it easier to learn. When Lyle finishes the OSTTC course, he’ll receive a Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) certificate. His last job was working at Pearson International Airport, helping to build the new terminal. Another new wing is to be added to that, and he hopes to get in on the action with his new welding skills. Lyle recommends that anyone interested in becoming an ironworker take the welding training because it will help them get into the union hall.
Teknowave, a year long program that includes graphic and web design, as well as network engineering, will also be offered by the Trades Centre in September of 2004. For more information about these courses, please contact Blair Martin, Trades Coordinator, or Morrison Thomas, Business and Technical Coordinator, of the ONGWEHOWEH Skills and Trades Training Centre.

Brandi Hill has never had any problems finding jobs, but getting them was another story. Like many students, she found the dilemma of locating work without previous experience frustrating. "It's kind of that whole thing where you have to have office experience to work in an office job. I had no experience, so no one would take me on," says Brandi. While she tried many methods of finding work, it wasn't until the Grand River Employment and Training (GREAT) centre introduced her to a job opportunity at the Six Nations Welfare department as a Family Support Worker that she finally learned the skills she needed. "The staff at Six Nations Welfare was very supportive and encouraging. I had no previous office experience so a lot of the skills I now have came from working there," she explains. Now, the 20-year-old Mohawk College graduate and honours criminology student at Wilfred Laurier University is Assistant Coordinator for the GREAT student office where she has the opportunity to help other students get the skills they need to find the summer jobs they want. "I really enjoy working with the youth, promoting different careers, helping them to put resumes and cover letters together, and exploring the importance of
		Brandi Hill, Assistant Coordinator for GREAT's student office.
		staying in school and continuing their education," says Brandi. She elaborates that GREAT can help students find work related to their chosen field and help them gain the experience they need to further their career at a higher level. "If you're in high school, GREAT provides basic work experience. A lot of kids coming out of high school have never had a full-time job, let alone a part-time job. So getting those skills is essential when they're going into college and university," says Brandi. Alongside Patty Davis, coordinator for the student office, Brandi is helping students with their job search by teaching them to put together resumes and cover letters, practice interviews, as well as find jobs in the area. GREAT's student office has workshops planned to help students gain valuable work skills. One at the end of June will focus on employability skills, while the last workshop in August will focus on building self-confidence and self-esteem on the job.
The G.R.E.A.T. Opportunity Centre Ongwehoweh Skills and Trades Training Centre is offering the following Courses for the 2004/2005 year.
Course Name	Time	Date
WELDING FULL TIME	Mon – Fri 9 am – 4 pm	July 12 - September 3, 2004 – (full) September 13 – November 5, 2004 – (full) November 15, 2004 – January 21, 2005 January 31, 2005 – March 25, 2005
WELDING PART TIME	Mon - Wed 6:30-9:30 pm	PART TIME WELDER TRAINING IS ALSO AVAILABLE via NIGHT CLASSES
GAS FITTER COURSE	Mon - Fri 9 am - 4 pm	June 28, 2004 – November 12, 2004
AUTOMOTIVE TRAINING	Mon - Fri 9 am - 4 pm	September 6, 2004 – March 25, 2005