Iqaluit, Nunavut – We sat down with David Arreak, a recent participant in Ampere’s Opportunities Initiative, to discuss his experience in the program and what it meant for him to participate, as well as what it means for his future.
What is the Opportunities Initative?
Ampere’s Opportunities Initiative offers 4 to 5 weeks of engaging, paid, job-specific training, followed by a 12-week paid internship to help people living with a self-identified disability build real-world skills and experience that lead to continued employment, and to help employers create accessible workplaces, for a more inclusive economy.
For participants, it’s an opportunity to earn while you learn thanks to a stipend, and then earn while you gain real-world experience in a paid internship (plus, you’ll take home a free laptop to keep).
While most of the participants in this first group did their internship with Penn-Co, a construction company here in Nunavut, David was interested in Computers for Success Nunavut, and Ampere was able to place him with the organization, where he could put put his technology skills and interests to work.
It was a learning curve, but David quickly grasped how to do virus scanning, malware detection, and laptop refurbishment which is a skill he can move forward with long term.
David’s interest in learning and continuing to adapt was evident throughout the program and his internship, and his commitment to growth serves as an example for others.
Check out the interview to learn more about the obstacles David’s faced with new technology, and how he stays open to new opportunities while embracing change.
Ampere−ᑯᑦ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ:
For over a decade, Ampere (formerly the Pinnguaq Association) has partnered with rural, remote and Indigenous communities to provide access to science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) education and opportunities. Founded in Pangnirtung, Nunavut, Ampere applies a Lifecycle approach to ensure that its supporting learners at every age, and every stage of life. Ampere offers programming directly through Makerspaces in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Bathurst, New Brunswick, and in the Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, and works directly with community partners, social organizations, governmental funders and educational institutions from coast to coast to coast.