Fly-in program offers certification to ‘validate’ work experience of school employees

A new program in Nunavik offers education employees who specialize in working with the region’s most vulnerable students an opportunity to attain college-level certification.

Kativik Ilisarniliriniq announced this week its partnership with Vanier College to offer the Integrated Support Technician Attestation of College Studies through a fly-in teaching program. 

The goal is to offer behaviour and special education technicians a route to have their work experience validated with a higher education degree. 

“We have employees that have been occupying these positions for over 10 years,” said Liza Cotnoir, assistant director of complementary services with the school board, in an interview.

The program “will empower them to feel more confident coming into work,” she said, adding behaviour and special education technicians have some of the most challenging jobs in Nunavik schools because they deal with students who have special needs and those with behavioural issues.

The initiative first started as a series of workshops offered in Nunavik, but has now been turned into a full-fledged program that consists of about 450 hours of instruction.

Participants will have their skills assessed and the program will be adapted to their level of experience, which may reduce its total length. 

Vanier College is sending a teacher from its continuing education department to Nunavik communities starting in January. 

“That is the awesome part,” said Cotnoir.

“It is on-site, in their community, in their environment, working with the participants and helping them develop and acquire the techniques and competencies to be credited.” 

The partnership is funded through the Quebec Ministry of Higher Education and the Société Plan Nord and is a result of more than six years of development. Nunatsiaq News has asked the ministry how much funding the program has received. 

The Quebec government provides an avenue for people who have mastered skills to get program certification through its Recognition of Prior Learning and Acquired Competencies process.

“By applying [this] approach to these students, we are able to service them directly, individually and at their own pace,” said Gregory De Luca, Vanier’s continuing education director, in an email.

“We are able to credit what they already know, provide them with exercises to develop what they don’t, then test them when ready.”

Colleen Leonard, a special education techniques teacher with Vanier, said the program focuses on understanding students’ behaviours, building supportive relationships, responding to crises and protecting personal well-being.

The program also incorporates the northern context and the use of Inuktitut language.

Cotnoir, with the Nunavik school board, said there are over 150 employees who would be eligible to apply for this program. 

“We value our employees, and we want to ensure we equip them with the tools, the techniques and the competencies they need to feel valued and validated in their positions,” she said.