Field trip aims to open student's eyes to careers in skilled trades
Construction associations hope a high school field trip will spark an interest in skilled trades as the need for workers increases in Ontario.
Students from Simcoe County and Muskoka interested in skilled trades visited civil and commercial sites Wednesday.
"It's very important for us to show that future generation that this is a great viable opportunity for them," said Alison Smith, Barrie Construction Association executive director. "There is a skilled trade shortage."
The field trip also taught many students that not all paths to a successful career are through university.
"It's not just mundane work. You're part of a team. The team is working together to build something, and that is hard to explain through a textbook," Smith added.
"When we talk about it in a classroom, a lot of people don't understand, whereas here it's hands-on, and you see people doing, and you see the work," said student Nadia Zaharuk.
"Rather than paying and paying and paying for student loans for tuition, you can start earning money straight out of high school," noted Smith.
The Barrie Construction Association and Simcoe County Heavy Construction Association say they are committed to helping students get placements and apprenticeships to make their way on a successful career path.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.