High school students throughout the Ottawa Valley are spending this week learning about the trades and exploring possible future careers.
An annual education initiative called “Trades Promoting Trades,” allowing students in grades 7 to 12 to learn about the skilled trades from industry professionals in a wide variety of fields, is being held from February 24th to 26th this year at the Algonquin College campus in Pembroke.
That’s Jennifer Gardiner, a stakeholder relations worker with Ontario Power Generation, one of more than a dozen companies that helps put the event together each year.
The initiative is held in a different community every year; this is the first time it’s ever come to the Ottawa Valley.
Jodi Bucholtz, the campus’ Manager of Community and Student Affairs, said local school boards were presented with the opportunity for the event and approached Algonquin College to host it.
Roughly 1,500 students will take part in the program over the course of the three days it runs, Bucholtz said.
Kristen Niemi, the Director of Education for the Renfrew County District School Board, said she hopes the event gets students excited at the idea of a career in the trades and what that has to offer compared to other avenues.
Students who attend the event and become interested in pursuing a career in the trades are encouraged to speak with their guidance counsellors after returning to school.