With Yorkton home to two Canola Crush plants, a new program designed to help students build Skills for Success and prepare for the industry workplace has launched at Suncrest College.
"Introduction to Canola Crushing Careers," is a new program built on a partnership with the Yorkton Tribal Council (YTC). The 12-week program runs from Jan. 13 to April 11, 2025, at Suncrest's Yorkton Main Campus.
"The goal of the program is to provide a foundation of knowledge about canola, oilseeds, the crushing process and why this industry is thriving in Canada. With this knowledge base, the students are now the ideal candidates for positions within the Canadian oilseed crushing industry," said Greg Tomcala, Suncrest College Applied Research Coordinator, who will be instructing the program.
The program will include two phases, the first as more of a generalized course in employment with crush plants, the second to go more in-depth on aspects that include power engineering.
The first intake of the program will include exclusively Indigenous students, with plans to expand to the public.
"The Yorkton Tribal Council holds the conviction that the pursuit of education and the drive for economic self-sufficiency are a direct exercise of our treaty and inherent rights. It is within this framework that we've wholeheartedly engaged in partnership with Suncrest College to launch the 'Introduction to Canola Crushing Careers' program," said Tribal Chief Isabel O'Soup, YTC. "This First Nation-led initiative represents both a commitment to the empowerment of our community and an affirmation of our sovereignty. We celebrate the inception of this program as a landmark progression toward equipping our First Nation youth with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in the agricultural sector. This collaboration is not just about building a workforce; it's about nurturing the next generation of leaders who will continue the legacy of our ancestors in stewarding and prospering from the land that sustains us all."
All successful applicants for the program needed their grade 12 diploma or GED, and a drivers license. In the first intake, 12 to 15 students will take part.
