Fifteen women, ranging in age from 18 to 45, started the program. All but one had children; some had grandchildren as well. The majority were single parents, with from one to six dependents. While in the program, the women received training allowances from CEIC. These varied according to the number of dependents a woman supported. The academic skill level of the women selected for WEAT ranged from basic literacy through university; the average, based on last completed grade at school, was 6-7. Most of the younger women had dropped out of school because they saw little relationship between schooling and their lives. Many of the older women simply had not had the option of attending school either up to or beyond that level.

In addition to the WEAT academic and work placement program, there were workshops on a variety of themes: sexual harassment; first aid and CPR; alcohol and substance abuse; wife battery; assertiveness; basic carpentry; budgeting; sexuality; birth control and sexually transmitted diseases; resume writing; familiarization with computers. Finally, there were a number of field trips to educational institutions and training programs in places such as Prince Albert.

Eleven women completed the WEAT program; in addition, three received grade 11 standings on the GED. Four of the eleven have gone on to further employment-specific training; two are in jobs resulting from their work placements; four hope to take academic upgrading (ABE) through the local college, and one has opted to remain at home with her family.

There were four women who did not complete the program. Of these, some were simply young and only committed to taking WEAT because it was expected by social services. Others found the change involved in living in La Ronge proved too stressful for them and their families. One woman left because of the program's emphasis on helping women take control and make positive decisions. Another, although highly successful at both the classroom and work placement sections of the course, decided that being at home with her child was a priority at this point in her life. She withdrew before completing the program.

In their final evaluations, instructors, students and work placement supervisors agreed that the program had met its objectives. For example, attendance had been identified as a major problem area. At the beginning of the program, the women often neglected to phone if they were going to be late or absent. In part, this oversight must be attributed to the fact that many Northerners do not have telephones and so have not come to rely on them. As well, punctuality and time, so highly valued by mainstream society, are not seen as so crucial by traditional northern cultures, which tend to emphasize face-to-face contact and spending time with people rather than "at things." In any case, by the end of the WEAT program, the women had developed the habit of phoning in to explain lateness or absence, which almost invariably were related to family responsibilities.

Overwhelmingly, the women who took the WEAT program commented on the fact that the course had taught them about themselves - their strengths and weaknesses; their skills and abilities. All feel they have more options since taking the course. They are aware of the fact that they have choices, and they are confident in their ability to make a choice and take charge - not just of their education, but of health and childbearing and rearing issues as well. Some commented on their pride in the fact that they had started and finished a course and that they can learn quickly. Many noted that they had learned patience through the experiences they had had in classroom exercises and on work placements. This is an attribute they now find invaluable when coping with family responsibilities. The WEAT program, by combining academic skill-building with self-awareness, communications and employment skills development, began the process of addressing the literacy needs of its participants. The northern women who were affected by it have developed some of the tools they need to better analyze and act to change their realities.

The La Ronge Native Women's Council Counsellor/Program Coordinator Training Program (CPC) is also designed specifically for northern women. It is being offered by the La Ronge Native Women's Council, which is a pro-active organization of women working to affect social change in La Ronge and throughout the north.

Funded by Canadian Job Strategies for a 52-week period and certified by the Northlands Career College, the CPC program started on August 29. In describing the program and its target group, local Native Women's Council member Lillian Sanderson notes, "the council has identified needs of native women and, hopefully, this program will help fill the gap for the twelve successful applicants. Many native women have no working skills, little self-confidence, low education levels and serious child care problems."⁴

The program has both classroom and work placement segments. The classroom portion includes focused, skill-specific training, including 6 weeks of life skills and 12 weeks of counselling skills development. In addition, shorter, intensive workshops will deal with issues such as alcohol and drug abuse and cross-cultural communications. The guest speaker program will include local elders who will help provide a sense of traditional native approaches to social issues.