Jasperites have the opportunity to take part in the Leadership West Yellowhead Program in 2009.

Commencing in April, the program offers students two retreats and six learning days across the region. During these days dedicated to forward planning, students are given the opportunity to expand and build strong communication skills that can be directly applied to their workplace and personal life.

Andrea Cote, Leadership West Yellowhead Program co-ordinator, said the program is “a personal development opportunity... [the students] come away with enhanced communication skills, conflict resolution and team building.”

Last year Jasperites Bob Covey and Christopher Read took part in the seven-month program.

Read had nothing but praise for the program. “I am incredibly glad that I did [take part] so if anyone has even just a thought that they’d like to educate themselves a bit more – they don’t necessarily have to be bogged down by the term leadership. I think that the personal growth that I experienced is valuable for anyone.”

Read said the learning days gave him the opportunity to develop new skills and apply them effectively in the workplace.

“It’s very practically applied. We’re always doing these activities and putting these skills to test in our learning days,” he said. “There were at least half a dozen things from each learning session that I took and directly applied.”

The program also aims to develop a strong network within the class as well as between each year. 

“We’re looking to build a network in the region with common vision and also enhanced leadership skills to actually use them when the need arises,” Cote said.

As well, students are given the opportunity to partake in a mentor program with someone “who is a more senior person in either their career line of work or if they prefer in their community passion,” said Cote.

Last year Jasper locals Greg Van Tighem, Sherrill Meropoulis and Kathleen Waxer were all mentors for students in the program.

In Read’s mind, the mentor program and the peer network were two “cornerstones of success for this program” as he has an ongoing relationship with his mentor and other peers from the program. These connections give Read “someone who is not directly involved with the Municipality but that I can bounce a couple ideas off. That we speak a common language is very, very valuable,” he said.

Read said that he could directly “attribute part of that [success] to the skills that I learned in the leadership program.”