SIAST was honouring ten students who graduated from the Aboriginal Police Preparation Program in Saskatoon Friday afternoon.

The six-month program prepares graduates for various careers in municipal, federal or Aboriginal police services.

Lead program instructor Neil Wylie says the program gives an introduction to policing in the hopes of creating a more representative force.

“We need to get out First Nations people out there, actively participating in policing within their communities and all communities where First Nations live,” he says. “So this kind of gives them a real opportunity to see what policing is about.”

Nineteen-year-old Silas Baudry says what he has learned in the program will help him in his future career path in the military.

“I learned justice studies, a lot of criminal investigation – basically what criminology is all about,” he says.

The program is also offered at SIAST’s Regina and Prince Albert campuses.