Career fair helps dispel myths about policing
By Rick Garrick
THUNDER BAY – Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service sergeant Jackie George aimed to dispel myths about policing during a Feb. 18 First Nations high school career fair in Thunder Bay.
“(I also) let them know how to prepare to apply for this career and all of the benefits they will have as a police officer,” says the Kettle and Stony Point citizen who has worked with NAPS for about 17 years. “We have full benefits for ourselves and our families. The sooner you start your career, obviously the sooner you can retire.”
Although George had always wanted to be a police officer, she didn’t apply until she was 30 years old.
“I always knew I wanted to get into policing, I always planned for it and I always talked about it,” George says. “But that’s all I did was talk about it, until finally it kicked in one day that I better stop talking and start walking. And I jumped right into the career.”
George prepared for her policing career by finishing high school, doing volunteer activities and staying out of trouble.
“But mainly I had to explain why I wanted to get into policing, and the basis of the whole thing is that I wanted to help people,” George says. George encourages anyone who is interested in a career with NAPS to check out their recruitment website at: joinnaps.ca.
The Feb. 18 career fair was held at Dennis Franklin Cromarty First Nations High School in Thunder Bay, where a variety of education, organization and company representatives hosted booths and participated in group sessions to speak with students about potential career options.
Students were also provided with an opportunity to try out a heavy equipment virtual simulator by Paul Giles, manager of ORIGIN – Operator Recruitment and Training.
“It is really a great tool for an orientation to the industry,” Giles says. “Students can get an idea of what it is like to operate. It’s kind of a first-hand experience to try out a machine, which isn’t something everybody gets to do.”
The 25-foot ORIGIN mobile trailer features three different virtual simulators manufactured by Caterpillar Inc.
“We have a loader, a dozer and an excavator,” Giles says, noting the controls are identical to those on the real machines. “The seat is the exact same as would be in the cab of a real machine. They are a replica but actually most of it is what you would see in the machine, the same machine, the same quality.”
Giles says the simulators also have a motion platform.
“You get that sense of off-balance or going through ruts or the bumpiness that is the reality when operating a machine,” Giles says.
ORIGIN is owned by Melissa Hardy-Giles, a Red Rock Indian Band citizen. The company has provided simulator services to many First Nation communities across northern Ontario, including Eabametoong, Nibinamik, Kasabonika, Poplar Hill, Pikangikum, Mishkeegogamang, Lac Seul, Wabigoon, Seine River, Rainy River First Nation, Big Grassy, Red Gut and Ginoogaming.
Moose Cree’s Stan Wesley also presented two talks — You are powerful and Go get what you want … it’s possible — during the career fair. He encouraged students to move forward and achieve their goals.