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Stories about making our way to school in the depths of winter have been a staple of family conversations for centuries. As Trevor Grandjambe of the Fort McKay First Nation tells the tale, his experience was a special test of endurance. He completed Grade 9 in his home community, but subsequently he had to face an hour-long trip to Fort McMurray every day to attend high school. But that didn’t stop him from graduating.
“Aboriginal people have many obstacles to overcome, but helping yourself goes a long way to helping you succeed,” he says. “You have to work hard and keep your goals in sight.”
Grandjambe, 35, is a senior site supervisor with Bouchier Group, one of the largest aboriginal-owned and operated construction and facilities maintenance companies in the oil sands. He joined the company nine years ago as an entry level operator working the night shift, after working as a labourer in the oil and gas sector for a number of years.
Continually upgrading his skills, learning on the job, and being proactive about leadership training helped Grandjambe reach his current position. “From supervisory and behaviour-related courses I learned how to react to situations and how to manage people in the workforce,” he says. “Getting that training helped my career tremendously. Being a supervisor is not simply about being the boss. There’s a lot of responsibility in ensuring everyone on your team gets home safely each day.”
Nicole Bourque-Bouchier and husband Dave Bouchier started the Bouchier Group in 2004 with 15 employees. Their first contract was a $350,000 temporary access road for a mine site. Today the company is a multi-million-dollar operation with 750 people, half of whom are aboriginal, says Bourque-Bouchier.
Promotion from within is very important to the company, she says. “We have people from all walks of life here. Some only reached Grade 5, some have a high school diploma, while others hold a degree. We recently introduced a learning management system to help our employees to self-train using the Internet. They can work through the web-based training and demonstrate their new skills with a competency test in the field. The system allows people to move into an apprenticeship or professional position within the organization.”
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