Training: Eeyou Communications Network

Training: Eeyou Communications Network Program

Eeyou Communications Network (ECN) will be conducting technician training and invites all residents of the James Bay area with Secondary V and some telecom experience and knowledge to apply.

ECN is working with the Cree Human Resources department, CHRD, to train skilled telecom technicians. Currently, a 10 week course is planned in telecom theory and practice that will be spread from November to April, 2011. It's a course led by experienced engineers and people in the industry. ECN wants you to take and pass this course and be part of the first generation of ECN technicians to run the fibre-optic network. As many as 22 people can be trained. Each applicant will be required to submit an application and a copy is now available.

Application Forms

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Once the course is completed, students will be able to explore all forms of work in Internet Technology: from repair and maintenance to planning and design for future uses. If you are interested in this course, preference will be given to employed people in every form of telecommunications work who want to advance their knowledge but everybody can apply. Achievers and learners are welcome in our program. For more information, send an e-mail with your CV and why you want to part of the ECN team to training@eeyou.ca

1. Training-to-Employment and Filling the Void in the Job Market

ECN initiative will support a specific training-to-employment project by establishing direct partnerships in the telecommunications/enterprise networks industry (telecommunications Public Carrier) and will also provide a direct access to jobs from ECN and other organizations requiring human resources with IT competencies.

ECN training program will create opportunities with small, medium and large size employers while enhancing the private and public sector job markets.

2. Short-term skills development

ECN project also addresses two important barriers, the Geographical Location and the Skills-related barriers.

Geographical Location: Remoteness of Eeyou Istchee and James Bay region is a key barrier for Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals to access jobs in high technology positions. With ECN employment offer and its training program, not only local jobs are directly accessible with proper training and development, but the deployment of a broadband infrastructure allows residents in the communities to be virtually present everywhere while being able to work locally.

Skills-related barriers: For many people, educational advancement and the acquisition of essential skills are barriers to access jobs in the high technology environment. ECN requires local resources in each community to operate a Public Carrier class network and through appropriate training programs, bring those individuals to the levels required. The successful individuals will not only represent good resources for ECN but will also be employed afterward by other organizations involved in communications and networks technologies.

3. Service Improvement

As the Information Society is developing fast, the digital divide is also increasing rapidly in the underserved remote territories. To keep the pace with the globalization of the communications, the Cree communities will require more than ever human resources having expertise in telecommunications, Internet Protocol applications, private networks, etc. The partnership between CHRD, the Cree School Board, regional partners and ECN will result in the development of resources with skills and competencies that could be used also by other organizations in those communities. Those resources could be shared by either working directly or by providing assistance or coaching to other groups, e.g. JBCCS, cable/Internet Service Providers, IT organizations and businesses.

Eeyou Communications Network infrastructures use modern optical fibre and Internet Protocol (IP) technologies to deliver advanced and reliable carrier grade services for connectivity to global telecom networks and the Internet highway. Eeyou Communications Network is an efficient access to global communications for: