Yukon College launches "Pathways to Success" campaign

Whitehorse – First Nations youth across Yukon are being encouraged to consider their own governments when thinking about their career options. Pathways to Success is a poster campaign being launched this week by Yukon College.

Each poster showcases an individual, their current job at a Yukon First Nation, and the educational path they took to get there. Erika Tizya-Tramm from Old Crow is one of seven individuals featured in the campaign.

“When considering your career there are so many different pathways to research and navigate. It can be very difficult to make a decision,” said Tizya-Tramm. “I didn’t have this kind of help when I was at high school and I think it could have made a difference.”

Tizya-Tramm was recently promoted to Lands Manager with the Vuntut Gwitchin government, but she took a few years to decide what to do after graduating high school in 1999. “Taking a summer job with my government is what sparked my interest in conservation and field work. It helped me find my focus at university.”

“Working each summer out on the land around Old Crow, I saw the opportunity to bring my education back home and put it to work.”

Pathways to Success follows a request from Yukon First Nations to the College to help highlight jobs available to students in First Nation governments.

“Not all students are aware of the career options open to them within their own governments, or all the steps they need to take to achieve their goals,” said Shelby Blackjack, facilitator, First Nations Initiatives at Yukon College.

“The purpose of the campaign is for students to make connections with career pathways they may not have considered or may not know about.”

“The idea for using role models in the campaign came from students themselves,” said Tosh Southwick, director, First Nations Initiatives.

A focus group of First Nations students at the College revealed that they wanted to see more examples of former College students engaged in successful careers; people they could look up to.

Trish George is one of those people. “I am participating in the campaign for my cousin’s daughter,” said the Finance Manager for Champagne and Aishihik First Nations (CAFN). “I think she will appreciate seeing some-one she knows promoting the value of education. You don’t know where it might take you, but it is so worthwhile.”

Trish George’s pathway to success was attending Yukon College to obtain a diploma in Business Administration while working at CAFN during the summer. This led to a full-time position handling accounts receivable and then to a finance officer position.

Erika Tizya-Tramm’s pathway was attending Yukon College in Whitehorse for college prep courses, and then embarking on a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Conservation at University of British Columbia. This led to a position as heritage interpreter with Vuntut Gwichin.

The long term goal of the Pathways to Success campaign is to build greater capacity within Yukon First Nation governments, with their own citizens trained in part, or in whole, by Yukon College.

The seven posters will be seen across the territory in a number of places, including schools, Yukon College campuses, First Nation offices, and nursing stations.

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Contact:
Michael Vernon
Communications Coordinator
College Relations
Yukon College
867 668 8786
mvernon@yukoncollege.yk.ca
www.yukoncollege.yk.ca

Jacqueline Bedard
Director
College Relations
Yukon College
Phone: 867 456 8619
jbedard@yukoncollege.yk.ca