Sam Ayaruak recalls growing up in Rankin Inlet with his mother, a single parent, and watching her struggle to afford the proper maintenance and repairs they needed on their home.

SA国际影视传媒淪o that made me think, SA国际影视传媒業 can do that.SA国际影视传媒� I was always curious. When every maintenance crew came to our place, I was always curious, and I thought that looks easy, that looks fun,SA国际影视传媒� Ayaruak said.

SA国际影视传媒淪o from then on, my dream when I was a kid was that I wanted to be there. I was wanting to be every equipment operator. So growing up watching Mom being a homeowner and single, that made me want to do that for her for free.SA国际影视传媒�

Ayaruak has since had his childhood dream fulfilled when he became an apprentice and eventually a housing maintainer.

Today, he's the acting chair and manager of Construction Trades at Nunavut Arctic College in the Sanatuliqsarvik Nunavut Trades Training Centre in Rankin Inlet. The facility helps create training opportunities for Inuit students through an apprenticeship program where they attend classes and gain work experience as they learn skills in their chosen profession.

SA国际影视传媒淚t's what I didn't have back in the day. I didn't have this opportunity. I just went straight into apprenticeship. But it's a great opportunity. I really recommend it to anyone willing to learn,SA国际影视传媒� Ayaruak said.

He now passes on his knowledge to help ensure students entering the apprenticeship program become the much-needed tradespeople in the North.

Potential students can choose their career path: housing maintainer, plumber, electrician, carpenter, or oil heat systems technician, for example, and begin their education.

Future tradesperson

One of those students is Tyrell Pye, who grew up in Cambridge Bay. Pye enrolled in the oil heat systems technician program and is currently attending classes at the trades training centre.

SA国际影视传媒淚 heard it was pretty good program and a good trade to get into. I know a few guys who were telling me about it when I was asking about the trades they were in,SA国际影视传媒� Pye said of the three-year program.

He said he is SA国际影视传媒渧ery muchSA国际影视传媒� enjoying the experience.

SA国际影视传媒淲e're doing our learning part, our paperwork, then we're also doing hands-on in the shop of what we're getting into, all within the furnace and heating part. And I enjoy doing that,SA国际影视传媒� Pye said.

The next component of his training will be entering the apprenticeship, which he also will do in Rankin Inlet.

SA国际影视传媒淚 will experience that here soon, so I'll be doing everything between the heating systems to ventilation systems. It will be mostly hands-on work,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Pye said he has a good group of five classmates on the same career path, who all help each other.

SA国际影视传媒淎nd the experience here is pretty good as well. TheySA国际影视传媒檙e all willing to help when needed SA国际影视传媒� the instructors.SA国际影视传媒�

As this classroom semester comes to a close, Pye said he will be writing his exam on May 22, after which he will apprentice and then come back about a year later. After the third year of class work and apprenticeship, Pye will be eligible to write the red seal and journeyman exams.

As the training is a government initiative, Pye also said he wonSA国际影视传媒檛 have student loans to contend with when he begins his career.

SA国际影视传媒淚'm looking to stay here for a while get my course done and start a life here.SA国际影视传媒�

New beginnings

Ayaruak said this training is filling an important gap in the industry.

SA国际影视传媒淪o what we're actually doing is giving the opportunity to our Inuit that are willing to learn and work. So it's actually a win-win situation when we hire people from the south to work with us and the students. So they're seeing and learning and working at the same time with the employee that's from the south,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

And Ayaruak said he's already seeing the benefits of such training in the community.

A current project involves building three, three-bedroom duplexes for students in technical training or for skilled trades workers who want to come to the community with their families.

SA国际影视传媒淪o it's going to give the students the opportunity to take their whole family here while the student is actually in technical training. SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淏ecause that's the number one reason most students don't really want to come, because they're pretty much away from home almost a whole year,

SA国际影视传媒淭hey can take their whole family here. They can help with work around town. You know, if they have a spouse, and their kids can go to school and make new friends.

SA国际影视传媒淭here are some students that end up coming here and living here, so they really like it here.SA国际影视传媒�

For more stories on the construction industry in the North, click here.