by Lauren Golosky
At 8 am, the students at Ignite Adult Learning Corporation in Regina line up to punch in their time cards. Only they aren’t thought of as students; they are apprentices and their job is to learn.
Ignite acts as employer, the apprentices as employees. There is a mandated dress code, except for Casual Friday, and they are provided a small allowance provided they show up and do their work. Apprentices aren’t paid for days they are absent. Absenteeism and other bad habits could get them fired.
Operating the program like a business is what allows Ignite to be successful, says program manager Carlo Bizzarri.
“We are taking a different cultural approach to education,” he said. ”Education is work, therefore, you’re accountable.”
Ignite targets at-risk young adults who suffer from societal problems like poverty and homelessness. Bizzarri says couch-surfing is a common way of life amongst apprentices, many of whom do not have supportive home environments conducive to education.
Bizzarri started Ignite Adult Learning Corporation, previously called the Regina Adult Learning Centre Inc., in 1990. This was in response to a request from the federal government to help increase youth employment.
“The problem hasn’t been solved,” Bizzarri said. “Sometimes we need to be a little more creative and get off the beaten path.”
For over 20 years, Bizzarri has veered away from more traditional models and institutes. It has proven to be successful. Ignite boasts a 75 per cent graduation rate on average, with more than 500 young adults successfully graduated from the program. Many of them go on to post-secondary education.
Apprentice Dorothy Starr is considering a career as a dental hygienist because she says she likes teeth. Someone else mentions he is thinking of becoming a chef, while another apprentice says she wants to become a teacher and work with at-risk youth.
In a typical day at Ignite, the apprentices study to take their grade 12 equivalency. The program’s hands-on approach also includes practical skills, from financial literacy to computer training. A favourite among many apprentices is the health and wellness program, which includes an hour of fitness four days a week.
The hour in the gym is followed by a nutritious lunch. The apprentices punch out for the hour. Over bowls of soup from a nearby church, they discuss another favourite class: Thought Patterns, which focuses on positive thinking and motivation.
“It teaches you how to talk to yourself,” explained Sasha Matechuk.
Dorothy Starr chimes in. “Not in a crazy way though.”
Starr and Matechuk are two of 18 students in Ignite’s current cycle. Each cycle runs for 43 weeks. When it is done, successful students leave with their GED and other credentials.
Twenty-five-year-old Lenora Bitternose says she wasn’t focused enough to graduate high school. While she has obtained a diploma for hairstyling, Bitternose needs her GED to get her license for apprenticeship. She chose Ignite because it allowed her to obtain other certificates, including a driver’s license.
Starr also chose Ignite over other institutions that provide Adult Basic Education (ABE). She was referred to the program by friends who successfully finished it. Starr says the program’s environment has encouraged her.
“It’s a home away from home,” she said. “Very comforting and welcoming and I feel like I can do work in this environment because of that.”
Matechuk agrees. “I feel comfortable and enjoy going to school for the first time ever.”
Many of the apprentices say they have referred friends and family to the program. But like the other institutions in Saskatchewan that offer ABE, there is a wait list. While the school officially takes 18 students per cycle, three extras are put on a wait list.
“Normally, out of four that apply, we take one,” said Bizzarri.
Ignite only accepts people who come willingly, not anyone who is being forced by family members or social agencies. There is a skill evaluation, then a job interview. While some may not get accepted, Bizzarri says after 20 years, seeing his apprentices’ success is still the best part of the job.
“It’s the best achievement that a human being can ever make, that is to see another human being fly free with their own wings,” he said.
