Help is wanted for Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district to connect students with more on-the-job training.
After receiving $50,000 in grant money from the B.C. Ministry of Education, Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools' career technical centre, which offers programming to assist students progress from high school to post-secondary training programs or the job market, is looking for businesses to assist with its work experience program.
Harrison Stupich, an SD68 teacher, said the program allows high school students to try out potential careers. The district doesn't have enough businesses in its Rolodex that are willing to take on students as unpaid interns, particularly in the technology, emergency management, heating-ventilation-air conditioning and climate change-mitigating industries, he said.
Students need seven elective courses – 28 credits – to graduate, and two work experience courses count as four credits each for students who complete 120 work hours as well as coursework.
"Say somebody wants to be a veterinarian. What if we were able to connect with some of the animal hospitals?" said Dave Travers, district principal of careers. "The student … does 90 to 100 volunteer hours, learns what it means to actually be a veterinarian, and then says, 'You know what? I think I want to be a veterinarian.' Or, 'Forget it. I don't want to be a veterinarian.' Either way, it's an absolute win, because they can decide. Before, you might go to school for two or three years thinking you want to be a vet, only to find out you don't want to be."
The district is keeping an open mind as to what kinds of businesses it would like to hear from, the district principal said.
"We're looking at car dealerships. There's so many jobs in a car dealership that our students, or anybody, doesn't really realize; let's have a student do a work experience," said Travers. "It could be in a hotel, to figure out what the different jobs are … it's the world's greatest interview … why not try out some of these students and see if they work and you have no obligation."
For more information, or to take on a student, e-mail ctc@sd68.bc.ca.
