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Aboriginal Education

Welcome to All!

At NIC, you’ll find community-driven programs and excellent services, committed to increasing the participation and success of Aboriginal people in post-secondary education and training.

Each year, over 1,240 students from more than 30 First Nations discover their path through NIC – you can, too! We’re proud to serve within the traditional territories of resident First Nations and offer services to support your goals. Take advantage of our growing number of programs and courses with culturally-significant content.

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The instructors all want you to succeed. You have personal contact with your instructors, unlike universities, where you’ll find 300 students per class. This year, there was a Business-Student Networking Mixer arranged to meet prospective employers in the Campbell River and Comox Valley area. It allowed me to see all the prominent employers here, many of whom I was not aware of before. It was an amazing experience.
Catherine Gesinghaus, NIC student,
Bachelor of Business Administration - Accounting

Start College with Confidence

The First Nations Transition Program is designed to help Aboriginal students make a successful transition to college. With personal support and guidance, students receive educational counselling and advising, study skills courses, career planning and goal setting. The program’s design is based on recommendations identified by the West Coast Advisory Committee. For more information, contact an Aboriginal Student Advisor at the campus nearest you.

Learning Circles to Support Aboriginal Nursing (LCAN)

LCAN is a collaboration of First Nations Health Authorities, Vancouver Island Health Authorities, Aboriginal Health, educational institutions, and Aboriginal and other nursing associations. Together with Vancouver Island First Nations communities, LCAN contributes to the wellness of Aboriginal people, assists individuals who are entering the health care profession, and supports people already participating in the provision of service. NIC is a signatory on the Memorandum of Understanding between all of these groups, and actively supports aboriginal students and aboriginal services on Vancouver Island.

Community-Driven Programs

From management skills and adult upgrading to tourism and first aid, NIC’s Community Education & Training programs give your community an opportunity to update skills when, where, and how you need it. NIC works with First Nations communities, industry and employers to design, develop, and deliver training that is tailored to your requirements. For more information on NIC’s Community Education & Training programs, contact the Aboriginal Student Advisor at the campus nearest you.

Aboriginal Administrative
Skills Certificate

Designed for community delivery, the Aboriginal Administrative Skills Certificate (AASC) provides practical, job related skills and competencies for work within Aboriginal organizations. Developed within the Applied Business Technology program, the AASC addresses the shared employability skills common to the various entry-level roles within Aboriginal organizations such as accounts payable, reception, treaty, membership, housing programs or management. Contact NIC’s Aboriginal Student Advisors
for more details.

Courses

The following courses include Aboriginal content or have been designed for Aboriginal students.

  • BIO 170 Foundations of Ethnobotany
  • BIO 171 Applied Ethnobotany
  • ENG 052 Advanced English (Aboriginal Administrative Skills Certificate focus)
  • ENG 125 Composition & Indigenous Literature I
  • ENG 126 Composition & Indigenous Literature II
  • FNS 060 First Nations Student Skills I
  • FNS 061 First Nations Student Skills II
  • FNS 065 BC First Nations Studies
  • FNS 100 Fundamentals of Aboriginal Administration
  • FNS 160 History of First Nations Education: Traditional and Contemporary
  • FNS 200 Pre- & Post-Contact First Nations of Canada
  • MAT 190 First Nations Perspective: Math for Elementary Education I
  • MAT 191 First Nations Perspective: Math for Elementary Education II
  • SOC 130 First Nations Sociology
  • WST 110 First Nations Women’s Studies
Courses are offered when funding permits or in response to expressed community demand.