New center provides distance education in Kuujjuaq

KUUJJUAQ — There’s a new institution of higher learning in Kuujjuaq, but its presence there isn’t making everyone happy.

The Native Training Centre of Quebec officially opened a new branch in Kuujjuaq two weeks ago.

The centre, based at the Huron First Nation community of Wendake near Quebec City, coordinates the delivery of distance education.

“We do professional training at the college level,” said Germain Paul.

Claiming a 70 per cent success rate, the centre offers students a selection of more than 5,000 courses from a wide number of institutions. Students can expect to pay around $500-$600 per course.

Paul said the centre was able to open in Kuujjuaq thanks to an arrangement with the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services to supply training to its employees in subjects such as management and mental health.

But the centre also offers courses designed to improve literacy.

Kitty Pearson, the director of Kuujjuaq’s adult education centre, is worried that this new centre may provide a “double service” — and one that’s unequal — to the same clientele.

She’s also concerned that the new training centre is not run by Inuit and has no promotional materials or courses in Inuttitut.

The Kativik School Board’s adult education centre offers upgrading and vocational courses, as well as shorter term, more specialized courses, geared towards an Inuttitut-speaking clientele.

The new Native Training Centre’s coordinator, Peggy Guay, a long-time resident of Kuujjuaq, said that her centre would offer a service that’s intended to be tailor-made for the individual needs of each student.

Students, Guay explained, may even take courses at night. They have access to a computer-outfitted room at the centre, and may receive help with their course material, if they need it.

“It’s very personal, case-by-case,” Guay said. “That’s why the supervision is here.”

According to the Nunavik health board, the new training centre’s services will be used on a “trial basis”.

Its flexibility was seen as an asset in providing training to board employees, but a health board offical agreed that courses at the new training centre shouldn’t duplicate existing services or siphon off money that should go towards training for Inuit.