The Fisheries and Marine Institute (MI) of Memorial University’s Centre for Community Based Education Delivery (CBED) delivers training in communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador each year.
In many cases, the opportunity to offer these courses and programs is initiated by someone in the area who recognizes a need or who may require the training themselves.
These individuals are community champions and they are critical to facilitating training in rural parts of the province. They make first contact with MI to initiate a program and then focus on helping to ensure it gets off the ground.
The champions understand the value of training and spend time encouraging local residents to continue or further their education. This is supported by MI’s efforts to market and advertise course offerings via local media.
To further strengthen the process once training has been confirmed, community champions often coordinate with MI’s registration and CBED departments on behalf of participants, help applicants complete their submissions for funding and work with MI to identify an ideal location for class delivery such as the local community centre, fire hall or church basement.
On many occasions the champion is the spouse of a fish harvester who sees the importance and requirement for a particular training to ensure the operation of their fishing enterprise.
Take Nadine Walsh of Summerville, Bonavista Bay for example. Nadine is currently organizing a program in her area, as she and her husband require the Fishing Master Class IV training. To date, she has 10 students interested in taking the course for January 2016.
Over the years, champions in rural Newfoundland and Labrador have come forward in communities such as Cartwright, Port aux Choix and Fogo Island. More recently, Trout River and Bonavista have expressed interest in training for their communities for this upcoming season.
MI offers community-based courses and programs in the areas of seafood processing, fish harvesting and aquaculture.
The Fishing Masters’ certification is a Transport Canada requirement for fish harvesters in the province and the Fishing Master Class IV and Class III are often delivered throughout the province.
This program also assists with meeting the Professional Fish Harvesters certification Board requirements for Level I and II fish harvesters. It is often these programs of 12 to 18 weeks duration that get delivered during the winter months.
MI has been offering community-based training since 1964.
To view a complete list of CBED’s course offerings for the coming year and find out how you can get involved, please visit www.mi.mun.ca/CBED
No Replies to "Bringing Education Home"