June 9, 2022 (Rockland, ON) – For the 10th week in a row, Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) students are getting the chance to experience real-world learning in the skilled trades, right outside their classroom doors.
This week, it’s the current and future Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Agriculture and Health and Wellness students at Rockland District High School (RDHS) that are getting the opportunity to weld, use power tools, build circuits, and learn how to challenge and fuel their bodies in new and healthy ways.
These hands-on activities are part of the UCDSB’s Specialist High Skills Major Program and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program initiative to bring the labs to 11 secondary schools across the board, one week at a time, from April 4 until June 17.
Thirty-two students per day attend the workshops, which are led by an instructor or trainer from St. Lawrence College. Each workshop is two-and-a-half hours long. The choice of workshops are: carpentry, welding, electrical, fitness, nutrition and culinary.
On Wednesday, June 8, students had a chance to explore the electrical and fitness trailers.
“I’m coming out of this workshop with a greater understanding of muscle groups and exercises to engage them,” says Grade 11 Health and Wellness SHSM student Holly White who took part in the fitness module. “We also discussed what a career might be like in fitness, which was very interesting.”
“It’s great that we’re reaching our SHSM students in this way this week,” explains Ashley Grant, UCDSB Student Success Learning Partner, and co-lead on this initiative. “The two SHSMs offered at RDHS – Agriculture and Health and Wellness – are directly aligned with the six workshops offered. Also, as part of this program, we’ve been ensuring that the groups who are under-represented in skilled trades careers have the opportunity to participate.”
The trailers will be at RDHS for the remainder of the week and then head to their last stop,Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School for the week of June 13 – 17.
