WCPS launches Introduction to Welding Camp for Indigenous students

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Kevin Newman, WCPS assistant superintendent of Education Services, said that the Mobile Welding Lab will move around to different schools throughout the division this school year so that more students will be able to use it.

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“This Welding Camp is a fantastic opportunity for our Indigenous students to build practical skills, confidence and connections to potential future careers,” he said. “Seeing students engage so enthusiastically with our Mobile Welding Lab demonstrates the value of creating meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that open doors to new possibilities,” Newman added.

Shelagh Hagemann, WCPS Director of Indigenous Education and Reconciliation, led the Oct. 5 launch opening ceremony by encouraging partners to speak about this opportunity for the students.

“The program was created to encourage Indigenous youth to take interest in the trades,” she explained. “The Mobile Welding Lab isn’t just about fusing metal; it’s about giving our youth the hands-on skills, confidence, and proof that they are fully capable of building successful careers in the trades.”

Hagemann also explained that having a passionate mentor and instructor like Quinton Potts, an Indigenous Red Seal welder, who graduated from Ponoka Secondary Campus, creates spaces of belonging for the students.

“Having an Indigenous instructor like Potts, changes the atmosphere from an intimidating environment into a safe space that allows the youth to see and recognize that they belong here,” she said.

The ceremony began with a smudge led by two of the students who participated in the Welding Camp, and was followed by an opening prayer by Maskwacis Cree Elder Bert Bull. The ceremony was also joined by Chief Leonard Standingontheroad, who spoke about the need for Indigenous students to enter the welding trade.

Following the ceremony, the students went straight into a mock safety meeting.

The Mobile Welding Lab is planned to be relocated to Bentley School following the Welding Camp at PSC.

It will later be brought back to Ponoka in the spring for an Advanced Welding Camp for students to master the craft