HEOs of the Future: Skills Training at Squamish Nation 

SkilledTradesBC partners with service providers across the province to facilitate training and increase participation in skilled trades amongst equity-deserving groups and Indigenous peoples. The service providers develop programs that are targeted at uplifting their participants with a holistic support approach to acknowledge and address different barriers to access and complete training.  

For nearly 20 years, Squamish Nation's Training and Trades Centre, formally known as Nexw7áýstwaý Training and Trades Centre (NTTC) has been providing unique opportunities for Indigenous adults and youth to explore and receive skilled trades training.  

Currently, NTTC, is delivering a Heavy Equipment Operator (HEO) training program for Indigenous people in collaboration with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 115. The 12-week program covers foundational and practical skills and upon completion, participants earn a Heavy Equipment Operator Level 1 Certificate and gain valuable experiences and life skills. 

NTTC offers HEO program participants the opportunity to learn their trade in a small, welcoming and culturally supportive environment with holistic supports to aid their success. The program balances classroom and on-site hands on training with cultural learnings to help participants be more connected with their culture and better prepared to navigate the workplace and potentially, a new career.   

Senior Program Officer Thea Copeman-Hayes notes that for some participants that haven’t been able to connect with their own culture, this is a safe and open environment for cultural learning to take place. Participants also learn more about the Seven Sacred Teachings and how they can apply it throughout their career journey.  

For many participants, this program provides a chance to discover their potential and passion in skilled trades and a new beginning.  

Every participant has their own unique story and background and how they came to apply to the program. One participant shared that he had always been interested in HEO and after an injury, he had to reevaluate his career path and decided to take the opportunity to pursue the trade.  He is excited to get some hands-on experience and learning more about all the possibilities of a HEO apprenticeship and career.  

The success NTTC has with its programs has a lot to do with the close community and network of support in addition to the availability and range of wraparound services. Thea adds, “the Training and Trades Centre has a very good community feeling…the relationships they create while they’re in the program really support their success. Both in the program and afterwards there’s a lot of peer-to-peer mentoring.” Not only is this program helping people build careers, it is also building a community.  

This program is funded by the Workforce Development Agreement (WDA), which is facilitated by SkilledTradesBC and Squamish Nations as a service provider. The WDA provides funding from the Government of Canada to support programs focused on meeting the needs of underrepresented groups in the skilled trades, including women, Indigenous peoples, and other equity-deserving groups 

About Squamish Nation 
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh traditional territory is 6,732 square kilometers (673,200 hectares), encompassing 23 villages totaling 28.28 square kilometers (2,828 hectares). These land parcels are scattered from Vancouver to Gibsons Landing and the area north of Howe Sound. 

Want to know more about NTTC and SkilledTradesBC’s funded programs for equity-deserving groups?