Ontario skills program pairs Peterborough students with construction, aviation employers

The Ontario authorities is backing a skills development programme for precocious schoolhouse students successful nan Peterborough area considering careers in aviation and construction.

On Monday astatine a media convention astatine nan Peterborough Airport, nan state announced $435,210 via nan Skills Development Training (SDF) watercourse for nan Build and Soar program, which will train 75 precocious schoolhouse students.

Working successful business pinch Peterborough and nan Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED), nan programme will lucifer section employers pinch students presently successful building and nan aerospace and aviation master precocious skills awesome schoolhouse programs.

Students will partake successful an eight-week placement for on-the-job experience, relying connected nan skills learned successful their schoolhouse programs. In addition, students focusing connected aviation pinch a imaginable subject aliases commercialized aviator profession will besides study astir formation training via nan usage of formation simulators.

“We request section businesses to return a chance connected smart, motivated young group who want to return that first measurement successful their careers,” said Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini, curate of labour, immigration, training and skills development.

Build and Soar will enlistee students astatine schools nether nan Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board (KPRDSB) and nan Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board.

Jaine Klassen Jeninga, KPRDSB committee chairperson, says nan programme offers invaluable acquisition for students and employers.

“The programme that focuses connected connecting our Grade 11 and 12 speciality precocious schoolhouse elder students pinch summertime activity acquisition successful these high-demanding sectors for on-the-job training, experiential training and learning while increasing successful talent is simply a pipeline that supports our section employers,” she said.

Catholic committee trustee Mary Ann Martin praises nan program.

“Student participating successful this programme person demonstrated tremendous committedness successful nan construction- and aviation-related courses,” she said.

Rhonda Keenan, president and CEO of PKED, notes nan SDF watercourse is disposable for a wide scope of employers, manufacture associations, labour unions, municipalities, hospitals and more. She says nan companies play a pivotal domiciled by offering mentorship and valuable skill-building opportunities.

“Every clip we talk to employers, it’s ever accomplishment sets that they request recognized, nuanced accomplishment sets,” she said. “They’re ever asking for thief astatine trying to enlistee those correct people.”

PKED is group to dissolve astatine nan extremity of nan twelvemonth arsenic nan City of Peterborough brings its economical improvement in-house. Keenan hopes nan modulation will guarantee early akin accomplishment improvement training programs.

“We’ll beryllium capable to do a rinse and repeat,” she said. “It won’t beryllium done PKED but because a number of our partners are astatine nan table, we’re hoping it will beryllium a soft transition.”

Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith notes that since its motorboat successful 2021, nan SDF has supported much than 700 training projects crossed Ontario. An further $100 cardinal was announced for nan watercourse successful nan 2024 budget, bringing nan province’s full SDF to much than $1 billion.

The state says astir 219,000 jobs beryllium vacant owed to a deficiency of skilled trades employees.

“Ontario’s trades are captious to nan maturation of nan system and our government’s ‘Plan to Build’ offering careers that lead to unafraid jobs and a bully value life,” Smith said. “Which is why having programs for illustration nan Build and Soar will group them connected nan way to success.”

— pinch files from Robert Lothian/Global News