2022 Fall semester – Eastview has a co-op student helping our skilled trades.
Oakville Trafalgar High School has a Cooperative Education Program (Co-op) that provides students with the unique opportunity to get out of the classroom and learn what life is like in the real world. Students explore career options and gather-up the valuable information they need to make informed decisions about their future careers and necessary post-secondary destinations. Students get to know themselves and test their own strengths and weaknesses as they learn transferable skills in the workplace.
Cooperative Education is a multi-credit option that includes placement on real jobsites in a variety of different sectors. Students who participate relate their co-op company choice to their favourite subject, or to a special discipline in which they’re currently enrolled, or one they’ve previously taken and enjoyed. As an example, math lovers may select a co-op placement at an accounting firm. All co-op courses begin with an in-school pre-placement preparation before the actual placement experience. At regular intervals, co-op students get together at the school to debrief and reflect on their business experiences.
The next step for Ryland, should he decide to pursue a career as a custom home builder, or any skilled trade in the construction field, is a program called OYAP. The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program is an enhanced co-op program which allows students to start to learn (through apprenticeship) while at the same time completing the requirements (through co-op credits) for Ontario Secondary School graduation. Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) is a school-to-work transition program offered through Ontario secondary schools, and Ryland could apply to this advanced program as early as next year.
Co-op students develop essential skills and work habits required in the workplace. Here’s a simple task our young protégé accomplished in record time without any errors.
In February 2022, the Ontario government debuted Skilled Trades Ontario, a new Crown agency where apprentices and tradespeople are able to access registration, certification, renewals and trade equivalency assessments all in one place, with many services offered digitally. The agency replaces the Ontario College of Trades and is meant to be a single point of access for all apprenticeship and skilled trades clients.
OTHS high school students should be lining up to come work with Eastview’s builders on our Oakville job sites. We’re very generous with our knowledge and good teachers because we’re good communicators. The high school co-op program is a good idea because it not only teaches kids, it builds their confidence and equips them with the necessary job experience they need to grow their resume for future employment. Eastview also appreciates the opportunity to teach people the right way to do things, and more importantly the right approach, which is never rushed or miscalculated. The first step is to always to measure and then cut.