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Paterson First Nations Youth Apprenticeship Program

Paterson First Nations Youth Apprenticeship Program

First Nations youth in the Lake of the Woods Region are gaining valuable first time job skills thank to the generosity of Andrew Paterson and family.

The Paterson Family established a $500,000 endowment fund with the Kenora and Lake of the Wood Regional Community Foundation in 2006. Proceeds from the endowment help to place students with local professional workplaces for the summer months, where they gain a meaningful start to their working careers.

In August 2009, Mr. Paterson met with the five students benefiting from the program; two were placed at the Paterson Medical Centre. two worked at the Kenora Area Health Access Centre and one was placed with Anishinaabe Abinoojii Family Services. All the students received training in the medical field.

I’m very impressed with what the girls have done and they’re a very good reflection of what I wanted to accomplish with this endowment fund – Andrew Paterson.

Student Melissa Skead expressed her thanks to Paterson for giving her the opportunity to work a field she had dreamed about. Through this opportunity, she is now looking to enroll in the pre-health program at Confederation College.

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