Pursuing an education in the diverse field of engineering and geoscience has been made easier for a group of 11 Northern students who have been awarded scholarships from the NAPEG Education Foundation SA国际影视传媒� a foundation supported by the public and members of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists (NAPEG).
Paul Guy, the president of NAPEG, said the financial boost will help ease the financial burden of obtaining the required education.
SA国际影视传媒淲e recognize that it costs more to go to school down south. When youSA国际影视传媒檙e from the North, you canSA国际影视传媒檛 live at home, you have to travel more, you have to pay rent and youSA国际影视传媒檙e away from your family,SA国际影视传媒� Guy said of the extra expenses involved.
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 to help offset the costs and make it easier to focus on your studying, so you donSA国际影视传媒檛 necessarily maybe have to take a second job, or, you know, be worried about your finances, so itSA国际影视传媒檚 a small contribution.SA国际影视传媒�
Meaningful options
Guy said engineers and geoscientists have a diverse range of opportunities when it comes to choosing a career path in the North.
SA国际影视传媒淔or example, working in the North, youSA国际影视传媒檙e working on interesting projects. You could be developing a water treatment plant in a small community, so you can see the results of your efforts by making improvements for the broader population and improving the quality of life for people and the safety of their water,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
Another career option could be working in the mining industry, he noted.
SA国际影视传媒淵ou can be working at the ground level and in exploration for a [project] that eventually results in a mine that contributes to the economy and some sort of tangible output.
SA国际影视传媒淪o I think a lot of people are drawn to this field because they can do something where they can see that theySA国际影视传媒檝e made a difference and contributed to improving the environment.
SA国际影视传媒淭he North has so many opportunities here, and you can really come in early in your career and have a meaningful impact, whereas down south, that might take longer to get to that stage where you can become more involved in more complex projects. So thereSA国际影视传媒檚 lots of interesting things to do here that you get engaged in early on.SA国际影视传媒�
Geology research
One student, Jade Lockie, is the graduate scholarship recipient this year. She is a PhD candidate in earth and environmental sciences.
She was working in association with the Northwest Territories Geological Survey to conduct her doctoral research on the geology of the NWT.
Lockie said she is thankful for the support.
SA国际影视传媒淎s a Yellowknife resident completing my PhD at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan, I am proud to be conducting geoscience research within the Northwest Territories. This scholarship helps offset the cost of tuition and travel costs associated with travelling to the university,SA国际影视传媒� she stated in an email.
Guy said almost half the scholarship recipients this year were women, which he attributed to the Canadian-wide initiative called 30 by 30, which is an industry goal for 30 per cent of the workforce in the field to be women by 2030.
The remaining scholarship recipients, all from the NWT, are:
-Cassie Rogers, University of Waterloo, environmental engineering
-Elaine Cronk, University of Alberta, engineering
-Ethan Aumond, University of Waterloo, nanotechnology engineering
-Gordon Kwong, University of British Columbia, engineering
-Ian Gau, University of Alberta, engineering
-Isabella Karl, University of Alberta, civil engineering
-Joseph Curran, University of Calgary, engineering
-Kabbamoy Paul, University of Alberta, engineering
-Roald Peters, University of British Columbia, applied sciences
-Stella Wong, University of British Columbia, civil engineering
Guy said the hope is that the scholarships will help by keeping students interested in engineering in the North so they will return to work after graduation.
SA国际影视传媒淏ecause we want to have a strong, vibrant, professional community here, and itSA国际影视传媒檚 important, we think, to have that.SA国际影视传媒�
Since the education foundation was established in 2006, it has granted nearly $300,000 to 130 Northern students.
NAPEG has a membership of 275.
