Conestoga’s School of Trades & Apprenticeship joined the Epic Jobs event in Brantford on May 22, where students in Grades 7 and 8 learned about a range of career options in the trades.
Conestoga’s Heavy Construction Equipment Operation program joined the Epic Jobs event in Brantford on May 22, where students in Grades 7 and 8 learned about a range of career options in the trades including the chance to operate a backhoe.
Employees from the college’s Heavy Construction Equipment Operation program ran a hands-on activity, giving the students a chance to operate a backhoe. They were challenged to pick up and stack pylons using the controls.
The event held at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre was fun for the students, but they also were exposed to a variety of jobs in the skilled trades industry that they may not have considered before.
“Events like Epic Jobs that focus the attention on younger students are a great way to create knowledge and understanding of what careers in the skilled trades are like. Providing hands-on activities allow for students to not just see something they may think is cool, but it allows them to actually step into that job for a short period, to try a skill or task that is far outside their comfort zone and gets them thinking about pathways they may otherwise have not thought about,” said Adam Davies, chair of the School of Trades & Apprenticeship.
The event gets students thinking about a possible career and how to get there, but it’s also a great opportunity for industry and teachers to connect.
“It sets up students to be able to make informed choices about courses through high school and gives industry a chance to speak directly to teachers at the elementary school level. The teachers get valuable information they can pass on to students and parents about the pathways through high school to the trades,” Davies said.
Demand is high for skilled equipment operators with the current pace of construction in Ontario. Graduates of the Heavy Construction Equipment Operation program will be well-prepared for success as they enter employment in the heavy construction and paving industries as equipment operators.
The program is part of Conestoga’s School of Trades & Apprenticeship, the centre of apprenticeship and skills training in Canada's Technology Triangle. A comprehensive array of programs is offered in the construction, motive power, industrial and service sectors in response to the needs of industry, and growth in the local economy.