Parkland College and the Yorkton Tribal Council have come up with a practical solution to make sure First Nation communities within the Tribal Council have clean water.

They have partnered on a 19-week Water and Wastewater Operators course, to make sure there are replacements ready when current employees want to retire, and to fulfill continuing education requirements for those already on the job.

Director of Adult Education for the Yorkton Tribal Council, Frank Keshane, says, “By providing the right tools and direction, we can build a prosperous and self-sufficient future for our Indigenous Peoples.”

Parkland College Manager of Business Development, Connie Brown, says the course includes some in-person learning, but students also have some online classes which can be taken at home, and there are also practicums at their local wastewater treatment plants.

She adds that since beginning this program, they have had interest from other communities who would like to take advantage of this education for its water treatment workers.