City partners with local high school to offer new lifeguarding co-op program
It's a brand new program for Bear Creek secondary school students.
The school now offers a lifeguarding co-op program in partnership with the City Of Barrie.
Students will receive two credits and full lifeguarding qualifications.
"They are getting their bronze medallion, their bronze cross, their standard first aid, emergency first aid, as well as their national lifeguarding certificate," said Jodi Green, a Bear Creek Secondary School teacher.
The program runs out of the Peggy Hill Community Centre and is offered to students grades 10 to 12.
"We've been doing in pool work and dry work so we learn CPR and that kind of stuff. But we've also been working on stroke development, diving, in water rescues."
For some, it will help in future careers.
"I want to be a firefighter when I'm older, so I was hoping that I would be able to get my certifications to make the process easier," said Jaiden Vankolfschoten, a grade 11 Bear Creek Student.
The city of Barrie employs 180 lifeguards. However, staff say the turnover rate is high and must hire 60 to 80 new lifeguards annually.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
"Having partners like the school board to work with us to solve that problem is a huge help to not only us but the community that we serve," said Joey Rusnak, the Barrie Recreation Program Supervisor.
Rusnak says having lifeguards is critical to keeping the community safe.
"Less than one per cent of drownings in Canada happen around lifeguards," said Rusnak.
Once students graduate from the lifeguarding co-op program, the city can hire them.
"When we hire them on, they do another 40 hours of training with us, and they can work at our beaches, our swimming pools, teaching, swimming lessons, or lifeguarding. It's a really good pipeline for them to join our team," continued Rusnak.
The City Of Barrie is still looking to employ more lifeguards for summer. Anyone interested in applying is encouraged to do so.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Family of toddler found dead at small-town Ont. daycare no closer to answers after year of investigation
A year has passed since two-year-old Vienna Irwin was found on the property of a home-based daycare in small-town Ontario, but her family says they are no closer to answers of what happened that day.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
Fatal plane crash reported near Squamish, B.C.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has confirmed it is working with local Mounties and the BC Coroners Service after a plane crash near Squamish, B.C. Friday night.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
Three dead after vehicle plunged down a 100-foot embankment in Shediac, N.B.
Three people have died after a vehicle veered off the road in Shediac N.B., Friday morning.
Appeal denied for Edmonton soldier accused of trying to kill her 3 children
An Edmonton woman found guilty of trying to kill her three children has been denied an appeal.