Siksika Nation’s Blackfoot Tech Council puts students in front for Calgary Wi-Fi enterprise system installation

On August 8th, trainees of Siksika First Nation's IT Training Program had the opportunity to do some hands-on installation work on a large scale Wi-Fi enterprise system. Hosted by Siksika's Blackfoot Tech Council, the IT Training Program is an introduction to information technologies (IT) knowledge.

Grounded in their newfound skills, BTC trainees installed a wireless Wi-Fi solution to service the Sunpark Plaza building in southeast Calgary. The building is owned by the Siksika Nation, and houses offices for the Nation's Chief and Members of Council, and Tribal Administration.

Guided by the Blackfoot Tech Council's volunteer members, the IT trainees programmed and installed a large scale Wi-Fi enterprise system; this included frequency planning, pulling and dressing cable, mounting access points, and software programming.

The team ensured that access points were strategically placed around the facility to provide optimal coverage and signal strength. Beyond this installation, the IT training program has empowered Siksika Nation to manage the new Sunpark system, as well as the majority of its other IT and internet services, in-house ongoing by skilled Siksika Nation members.

Unlike home and small office Wi-Fi setups, which are relatively simple and may consist of a single wireless router, Wi-Fi enterprise systems are designed to provide reliable, high-performance wireless connectivity for organizations with larger and more complex networking needs.

“Empowering Siksika Nation members through the Blackfoot Tech Council IT training program is not just a choice; it's a responsibility. Their success in this digital age is our collective achievement, and by supporting them, we pave the way for a brighter future for us all, said Kendall Panther Bone, Siksika Nation Councillor.

“It costs a lot of money to have systems like that put in place. Bringing more systems in-house is one of our goals at the Blackfoot Tech Council. It's all about the capacity building," explained David Panther Bone, Blackfoot Tech Council Co-Founder and Board Chair.

The Siksika Nation training program is an introduction to basic information technologies (IT) knowledge and skills. The course helps those who are interested in IT gain a better understanding of the field, and reinforces whether someone might want to pursue further education or a career in IT.

Trainees learn, and become certified in a wide range of skills, including IT concepts & terminology, infrastructure, applications & software, software development, critical thinking, database fundamentals, security, AI and machine learning, systems thinking, etc.

As of June 2023, fifty-six Siksika Nation community members, high school students, and Siksika IT specialists have completed IT Fundamentals and IT Core skills training programs to-date, in partnership with Computing Technology Industry Association (“CompTIA”), Braintoy, and InceptionU.

Many of the students also completed practicum placements with Siksika Nation departments and partnering organizations for handson work experience.

The current training program is now underway, having begun October 2nd and scheduled for completion at the end of March 2024.