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What is AITS? |
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| An Outline of the AITS Program and what it is all about! |
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The American Indian Trades Skills Program is designed to give the American Indian tribal members the
knowledge to be able to choose a trade, familiarize themselves with the requirements needed to get
into the apprenticeship program for that trade, and help the student meet the requirements and excel
in their chosen trade. The program starts with a 180 hour class designed to develop the skills needed in most trades. The first task is the assessment of each student's skills and short comings. The second task is the introduction to tools and the safe way to handle them. The next subject is a course in work ethics, followed by classes in Computer drafting, trade math, blueprint reading and more safety. The last subject we touch on is an introduction to passive solar design. The classes are followed by the "hands on workshops" for several trades along with a short trade specific safety class for each trade. Each workshop will be one week long and will be given by a "Journey Person" and/or instructor of that trade, ideally a Native American role model. Phase two of the program would be the classes, advanced training, or the "on the job training" each person will have to go through to enter the field they have chosen. These will be determined by the requirements of the trade chosen and the assessment results. It is the intent of this program to devolop not only more American Indian Journeymen & Women, but to increase the number of Native American contractors, sub-contractors and business people. Ideally each of the fifteen students would take a computer and an interactive math program home with them after they have completed the class. The students then have the ability to continue with their studies and improve their skills at home. So far the trades that want to put on the one week classes are the carpenters, painters, pipe trades, laborers and electricians. The sheet metal workers, operating engineers, masons and iron workers have showed an interest also. This class outline has been developed by members of those trades and representatives of the tribal colleges so the American Indians can get into apprenticeship programs because they are the best qualified. |
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For more information on the program please e-mail me with your specific questions or comments. Thank you for your interest in the program. ~Alan Hamann |
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