DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD OF NIAGARA
1,400 DSBN Students Connect with Employers at 3rd Annual Trades and Tech Fest

Recent graduate Presley Kalybaba and Safe Tree Ltd. owner Ivan Fredette met last year at E.L. Crossley Secondary School's second annual Trades and Tech Fest. Now, almost a year later, Kalybaba is employed full-time as an arborist in training at Safe Tree, and he is only 17.  

"I never knew this arborist career existed until I was at this event last year, and I decided to climb the tree saddle they brought," said Kalybaba. "Apparently, I climbed it really well. I was a Grade 12 student at Crossley and I had no idea what I wanted to do. Trades and Tech Fest is where I found some career ideas and thought maybe I want to be an arborist. And that's how I got here." 

Linking students with possible career paths and future employers is what Trades and Tech Fest is all about. On Thursday, November 7, over 70 community partners from Niagara to Hamilton set up information booths and active simulations for the more than 1,400 attending students to experience. The group included local employers, regional businesses, universities and colleges as well as federal and provincial agencies. Students from every DSBN secondary school were bussed in for the opportunity to learn about the dozens of career choices they can pursue in the skilled trades and technologies.    

"Most of our workforce is the younger generation given the physical work we do. There's a misconception that students don't have a quality work ethic, but you come to this type of event, and you see that's not the case. They're interested, ambitious and enthusiastic. They just need a chance to find the right team and career that fits them. This has been an excellent opportunity to make that first connection," said Ivan Fredette, owner of Safe Tree Ltd.  

Making students aware of what kinds of careers are out there and available to them is one of the main goals of Trades and Tech Fest. While some students at the event are finding their future jobs, others are learning how many careers in the skilled trades there are to choose from and just how many of these jobs are in need of trained and qualified workers.  

When Mila Burrattini was a Grade 11 student, she spoke to a staff member at Niagara Health. That conversation marked the first time she learned about Medical Radiation Technology. Now in Grade 12, it's a career path she is considering more seriously.   

"Until I came across the booth last year, I had never heard of a Medical Radiation Technologist (MRT). But my eyes were really opened to the need for MRTs when a family friend really needed an MRI and had to wait nine months for one," shared Burrattini. "It wasn't on my radar before, but my goal is to be working right after university or college and this fits into what I want. I'm still keeping my options open, but I am looking into this now as a real potential career for myself. I don't know when or if I would have learned about this career down the road, so I'm really happy I learned about it when I did." 

"Students have gone home and talked to their parents and guardians about the simulations they did and the employers they met at Trades and Tech Fest. We sincerely hope that it opens doors for them and will help them look further into their post-secondary or career options," said Janet Cripps, Guidance Counsellor at E.L. Crossley and one of the many organizing staff who helped put this event together.   

The demand for workers in the trades and technologies remains high in Ontario and is set to grow significantly over the next decade. DSBN's Technological Education program recognizes this need and offers a wide range of both broad-based and focused technology courses, with the goal of empowering students to find their future career in the skilled trades and technologies at a younger age. 

New as of this school year, Grade 9 and 10 students must earn a Technological Education credit to graduate. DSBN is already ahead of the curve, having long offered students numerous Technological Education courses to choose from, making this requirement an easy one to complete. Between our comprehensive Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programs - currently offered in 16 secondary schools with options ranging from Manufacturing and Energy to Construction and Business - to our connected cooperative education program, various community partnerships, system-wide Technological Skills Challenges and robotics programs as well as our ongoing participation in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP), students receive hands-on learning experiences at DSBN. They have real opportunity to develop technical skills and are consistently exposed to new fields and employment options - all designed to help them find their future career, make connections to the world outside of school, and succeed in the jobs of tomorrow.  

Students and families can learn more about these programs and courses by visiting www.dsbn.org/programs-services/tech-ed or by connecting with their home secondary school.