Program prepares women for working world

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Grand MacEwan College offers a ten-week program to prepare Native women for the working world.

The Native Women's Pre-employment Program at GMCC's Cromdale campus has proved successful for some of those who have completed the program.

Sylvia Gambler, 25, finished the program in October 1989.

"I didn't know what career I wanted. I didn't know what I would need for the career. I helped a lot," said Gambler.

"I wanted to get into clinical psychology. While in the program, I interviewed two psychologists. I found out you needed sciences. It would take too long. It wasn't realistic," she added.

Today, Gambler is the receptionist for Ben Calf Robe School in Edmonton but maintains she is still interested in psychology.

"I learn what to expect from certain age groups of junior high students. It's interesting!" she said.

The program assists Native women from varying ages and backgrounds. They are between 18 and 59 years of age. Many are from Edmonton, or from outlying reserves. Some are from out of province -- British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.

Enrollment for the ten-week program ranges from 12 to 22 students. However not all students make it through because of personal problems, said Alice Levasseur, program supervisor.

"Sometimes its illness, violence, alcohol or drugs. There could be a crisis in the family. If they miss too many days, they are asked to leave. They are asked to treat this program like a job," said Levasseur and added "they have to be willing to make changes within themselves."

In 1989, five or six students finished the program, said Gambler. The students who didn't finish had their own problems to take care of at home.

"I was confident," recalled Gambler.

In the ten-week program, instructors Lynda Ferguson and Jennifer Hunter have the students identify and deal with their problems, become more assertive in communication, define aptitudes and skills to define a career choice.

Native women have to deal with two possible prejudices -- being Native and being a woman in the work place. Lynda Ferguson, a Native instructor, does a lesson on prejudice.

"It makes them (Native women) look at their own prejudices to deal with other peoples' prejudice," said Levasseur.

In 1978, the Native Women's Pre-employment Training Program operated out of a house. In 1985, Grant MacEwan College took the program under its wing because the program was having difficulty obtaining funding.

Since then, the program has operated out of the Grant MacEwan Community College Cromdale campus.