 "When we fail to consider
apprenticeship and careers in
the skilled professions, we
shut the door on a world of tremendous opportunities. Apprenticeship may not be for
everyone, but everyone should
at least consider it."
- Carlos Sousa, Project Leader (CEO Program)
As part of its secondary school reform
platform, the Ministry of Education now requires every school board to offer school-work
transition (SWT) programs. These programs are specifically designed to meet the needs of a
significant number of our students – those who are work-bound immediately upon
graduation from high school. One type of SWT program is OYAP – the Ontario Youth
Apprenticeship Program.
OYAP initiatives such as our Career
Education Opportunities (CEO) Program permit students to register as apprentices and
accumulate hours and experience towards a Certificate of Qualification in a skilled
profession while earning credits towards their high school graduation diploma.
These programs give additional relevance and meaning to the learning process and provide
students with real-life opportunities to make connections between theory and practice.
More importantly, these programs help them to make connections between today and tomorrow.
Not surprisingly, co-operative education is a key component of many SWT programs.
From February to June 1999, we
concentrated our efforts on the development and distribution of marketing materials that
met the needs of students. This school year, our focus includes educators. Specifically,
we are offering a workshop series that will provide educators with industry and
occupation-specific information and an avenue to sharpen their knowledge of the
apprenticeship process so that they will be better positioned to discuss this important
career option with their students. With this expanded knowledge, we expect that educators
will promote apprenticeship and careers in the skilled professions as viable and desirable
career options for every student.
"… the majority of the student
population
in Ontario does not go on to study
at a university or college upon
leaving high school."
- Ontario Ministry of Education |
