Dolores is a 58-year-old Métis woman who was born in Fort Chipewyan but raised in Fort McMurray. Widowed at age 21, she raised two small boys and joined the workforce as a labourer. Dolores decided it was time for a different career path.

Thirty-year-old Roy is a member of Fort McMurray 468 First Nation. He participated in the Upskilling Program through Athabasca Tribal Council (ATC) after hearing about it through ATC and his band FM468FN.

Chantal is from Onion Lake First Nation on the border of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Looking for a change from her gas station job where she did see the opportunity for promotion happening, she participated in the Class 2S Melt Training program after seeing it advertised on Facebook and becoming interested.

The Community-Based Environmental Monitoring (CBEM) program provides students with education and training in environmental monitoring by focusing on a “Two-Eyed Seeing” approach.

The Urban Indigenous Employment Preparation Program (UIEPP) is a unique Upskilling Program. The partnership between Athabasca Tribal Council (ATC) and Keyano College sees First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people living in the Wood Buffalo region able to take courses to improve their the education and ultimately their resume, fueling opportunities for employment, career advancement, and continuing skills training toward their dreams.

The Indigenous Haul Truck program provides opportunities for First Nations, Métis and Inuit people living in the Wood Buffalo region to get the training and skill needed to operate some of the largest machines used in the oil sands industry today.

Wendy is a forty-seven-year-old Indigenous woman, mother, wife and grandmother. She is a member of the Canoe Lake Cree First Nation, located in Saskatchewan, but recently relocated her family to Fort McMurray, Alberta.

Twenty-six-year-old Tyrone, from Fort McMurray 468 First Nation, successfully completed Athabasca Tribal Council’s (ATC) Security Guard Training Program, ultimately securing employment which was his goal when he started.

Cyrus is a 22-year-old member of the Berens River band in Manitoba, and is father to a one-year-old little girl. He participated in the Class 5 Graduated Driver Licence (GDL) program after seeing it advertised on Athabasca Tribal Council’s (ATC) Facebook page.

Twenty-nine-year-old Robyn is a mother of two and a proud band member of the Fort McMurray 468 First Nation. Robyn participated in the Haul Truck Operator course offered through Keyano College after seeing it advertised on Athabasca Tribal Council’s (ATC) Facebook page.

Forty-year-old Leah is a proud member of the McMurray Métis. Together with her husband, Nathan, Leah has three beautiful children who have all been raised in Fort McMurray — the community they call home.

Emily is a twenty-three-year-old from Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nations in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. In 2018, she moved to Fort McMurray to make a better life for herself with more work opportunities, and has since participated in the Haul Truck Operator program through Athabasca Tribal Council (ATC).

Forty-nine-year-old Norma is a mother and grandmother from Fond Du Lac First Nation in Saskatchewan. It was in Saskatchewan where she graduated from high school, and went on to complete her Heavy Equipment Operator course.

Tammy is a forty-nine-year-old Qalipu First Nations member who recently participated in the Indigenous Security Guard program after hearing a radio advertisement promoting the program.

JoAnn is a 47-year-old Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation member who completed the Security Guard training program after seeing it advertised on Athabasca Tribal Council’s Facebook page.

Amber is a 23-year-old Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation member from Fort McMurray but has family roots in Fort Chipewyan. Amber participated in the Community Based Monitoring Program (CBEM), sponsored by the Athabasca Tribal Council (ATC) at Keyano College.

The older community men had invited this young man to go on a hunt with them. This opportunity was exciting, as it was the young man's first hunt. He was ready to spend time learning the land and cultural ways of surviving and hunting.

Fallon is a 36-year-old from the Neskonlith Indian Band of the Secwepemc Nation of British Columbia. From reading a Facebook post made on the Athabasca Tribal Council’s (ATC) Facebook page about the Security Services program, Fallon was able to register and participate in this program.

Twenty-six-year-old Tasheena is from Mikisew Cree First Nation, and has a beautiful one-year-old daughter. She has a passion for the beauty industry and helping others feel confident in their skin.

Tasheena participated in three courses: brow lamination, brow henna, and lash lifting and tinting at Beauty 2 Brows. Beauty 2 Brows is the first Indigenous beauty academy in Canada.

Keira is a fourteen-year-old Mikisew Cree First Nation member. She likes to bead and study tarot cards in her free time.

Keira completed the Indigenous Driving Training - Class 7 Learners with Athabasca Tribal Council after hearing about it from her mother.

Thirty-two year old Donal has been aspiring to become a professional firefighter since he was young. A member of the Mikisew Cree First Nation in Fort Chipewyan, he joined the Fort Chipewyan Volunteer Fire Department at the age of 16. By the time he was 25, Donal was the captain of the fire department.

Cynthia is a 29-year-old mother of five from Janvier. Having recently moved back to Fort McMurray, she heard about the Urban Indigenous Employment Preparation Program (UIEPP) Upskilling Program and recognized that it would be a great opportunity for her and her family.

Forty-one-year-old Christine was born and raised in Hay River, Northwest Territories, and is a proud member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. She is a mom and a stepmom of two wonderful girls, Clover age three and a half years old and Lucy age 15.

Shaye is a 21-year-old proud member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. She was born and raised in Fort McMurray, and later moved to Fort Chipewyan as a teenager.

When considering her career options, Shaye heard about the Community Based Environmental Monitoring (CBEM) program through Keyano College; CBEM turned out to be the program she felt most passionate about, and so she enrolled.