His day doesn’t really slow down until 8 or 9 p.m.

“You’ve got to plan and organize when you live out of town,” says Kyle Gordon. His days are long, balancing a full-time job in Saskatoon, managing his farm outside the city, and raising his son as a single dad. Still, he found time to chat about the Indigenous Apprenticeship Program (IAP) at Gabriel Dumont Institute (GDI), a program that made a positive impact on his life.

For over five years, IAP has supported Indigenous apprentices at GDI by providing unique resources and services to help overcome barriers, offering training in skilled trades, and encouraging meaningful careers.

“I like to stay busy,” Kyle says, describing himself. In addition to parenting and his job, he also takes on freelance carpentry renovation jobs on weekends when his son isn’t with him, which are opportunities where he puts his apprenticeship skills to use.

He first heard about IAP from a friend who had gone through the program and encouraged him to apply. His friend had appreciated the assistance he received from GDI staff, Kyle recalls. For someone with so much on his plate, any support needed to be not only helpful — but seamless. That’s where the IAP came in. Kyle was ready for a change, and his friend’s nudge gave him the push he needed to make the first call.

That phone call connected him with his coach, Spencer. From the application process to government paperwork, Spencer kept him informed and took care of the details, making it a smooth process. Kyle later described it as “the most painless paperwork experience I’ve ever had.”

“He would call or email and say, ‘Hey, just fill these out and send them back.’ And then he’d take it from there,” Kyle recalls.

This is a key part of the IAP experience at GDI — coaches provide ongoing support from the start of the apprenticeship journey through to employment.

After Kyle entered the program, Spencer remained his coach. This is a key part of the IAP experience at GDI — coaches provide ongoing support from the start of the apprenticeship journey through to employment and even into journeyperson status, including support for upgrading journeyman tickets throughout their careers. This ongoing relationship is a hallmark of the GDI’s Indigenous Apprenticeship Program: the staff and institute continue to walk alongside apprentices throughout their journey in the trades.

Through this close relationship-building, staff also come to understand the personal barriers and situations that some students face that challenge their studies and work.

In Kyle’s case, the staff learned he was facing significant personal challenges. Just as he began gaining momentum, hardship struck. Between Year 1 and Year 2 of his apprenticeship, Kyle lost his mother and became the primary caregiver for his son, who was diagnosed with epilepsy. Despite these challenges, Kyle persisted, determined to honor GDI’s investment in him.

He appreciated how GDI cared for the students and worked hard for the students to their success. That appreciation became his motivation to stay committed to the program.

“I lost my mom right when I had to write my exams… I follow through with my commitments. You guys invested in me, so I had to finish what I started.”

Kyle’s determination wasn’t missed by the staff at GDI, who recognized his determination and focus through challenges and selected him as the recipient of the GDI Perseverance Award for 2024. The GDI Perseverance Award is an annual award celebrating Métis apprentices whose resilience and self-determination exemplify perseverance. 

“In a world that often values instant gratification, these apprentices have chosen the path of perseverance,”

said Director of Training & Employment Audrey Hestand in describing the spirit behind the award.

She added that GDI encourages apprentices to be proud of all they have achieved and to step forward as skilled experts in their communities.

The perseverance Kyle showed during those tough times helped him build the strength and determination he carries today. He completed Year 1 of carpentry and most of Year 2, and even though he later accepted a position as an Animal Technician at the University of Saskatchewan, he still relies on his apprenticeship skills daily. He also draws on the program’s values and ways of learning, knowing and being in his day-to-day life. He is grateful for everything that the GDI IAP has brought to his world.

“A lot of the trades [learnings] don’t just help with the job, but with life, too.”

You’ll get to some point where you’ll take that knowledge and experience and use it somewhere down the road.”

Today, Kyle is a proud, full-time ambassador of what the Indigenous Apprenticeship Program can do for Métis youth — especially those with goals to achieve.

He encourages anyone considering the program to “Just make the call! You’ll be surprised where you’ll eventually get to use the knowledge.”

When Kyle had learned he was being presented with the Perseverance Award, he wrote an acceptance message that was applicable to not only his award then, but now as words of advice to others on education and life:

“You’ve always got choices. You hope you make the right one at the time.
One is to give up. One is to keep going.
There’s something you’ve got to know — every decision you make is going to help you move forward.
… your windshield in front of you is always bigger than your rear-view mirror…”

Kyle’s decision to enroll in IAP gave him many tools for his life going forward. And the view through his windshield now is bright with possibility.

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Interested in how GDI’s Indigenous Apprenticeship Program can support your journey?

Contact Bonnie Hartman, GDI Employment Services Manager

Email bonnie.hartman@siit.ca or call 306-659-1074 to learn more about your options.

Above: Kyle has a big smile on-site during his training.
Below: Kyle receives the GDI Perseverance Award for 2024.