SIIT Trades Centre building capacity
- NC Raine | November 28, 2017
Many trades students in Saskatoon will benefit from the recent developments made at the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) Trades Training Centre.
SIIT celebrated the Grand Opening of their new campus on November 23, welcoming trades industry, media, and fellow students to a facility that will expand resources and supports offered to students.
“It's great to celebrate this new facility,” said Riel Bellegarde, President and CEO of SIIT. “The new facility and the programming the ability for us to work with our learners.”
With campuses in Regina, Prince Albert, and Saskatoon, SIIT offers programs in a variety of trades, industrial, business, technology, health, and community studies, as well as adult basic education. They service more than 2,400 students annually, and that number is likely to continue to grow with the new trades facility. Bellegarde says that seeing a student's success through to the end is a priority at their institution.
“We believe that when we start a journey with one of our learners, we will continue to ensure their success, and that we will be there all along the way, and see them into the work force,” he said. “This facility allows us to do that.”
The new Trades Training Centre is over 5,800 square feet, and provides students with common areas for group or individual study sessions, a bright classroom area, and kitchen space. The carpentry shop is twice the size of SIIT's previous location on Millar Avenue. There is also multi-use third bay, currently being used for a variety of educational programs.
“This is an Indigenous facility and an Indigenous program,” said Dion Tootoosis, Cultural Coordinator at SIIT. “We are excited to see more growth as we continue.”
With a 40-year history of educating students from over 175 different First Nations across Canada, and a student body which is proudly over 90% Indigenous, SIIT continues to be one of the most important Indigenous educational facilities in the province.