A record number of students in Avon Maitland District School Board (AMDSB) were registered as apprentices through the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) this past school year. OYAP bridges students in high school to the apprenticeship pathway by allowing students to start their apprenticeship while they are in co-op. "Ideally the OYAP program is a win - win for both employers and students. Local employers support potential apprentices through a co-op placement where they really get to know the students, begin to train them and see if they will be a good fit with the companies. The students also get a feel for the company while developing their skills as they work towards an apprenticeship. We find that employers who either have a labour shortage now, or have one looming, are using co-op and OYAP as one method to address that issue" said Tony Roes, Cooperative Education Department Head of Stratford District Secondary School.
MDHS student Kalea Keyser signed as an Industrial Mechanic Millwright at Integrated Mechanical
This year, AMDSB co-op employers were able to take advantage of the apprenticeship incentives that the Ontario government provided. For students who were registered as apprentices and worked for at least 45 consecutive days, the co-op employer would receive a $1000 incentive. And for the students who completed their Level 1 training, the co-op employer would also be eligible to receive the Level 1 in-class training incentive as long as the student had been registered for at least 30 days prior to the start of the training. OYAP Recruiter for AMDSB, Jodi Froud, said "This is a game changer in regards to supporting our communities and helping to get our students a head start in their apprenticeships. Having our OYAP students recognized as regular apprentices means that more co-op employers might consider registering their co-op students to provide them with a head start in their apprenticeship and to help to mitigate the challenges of retaining quality staff."
Not only did apprenticeship numbers increase across AMDSB, but the number of females who registered as apprentices also increased. Eleven female students have gained an apprenticeship and will be working in the skilled trades upon graduation. "Historically, women are underrepresented in the skilled trades. With focus being dedicated to increasing opportunities for people in the trades, it's important that all of our students know that a career in the skilled trades is a possibility for them," said Froud. The government of Ontario has recently stated that by the year 2026, 1 in 5 jobs will be in the skilled trades.
SDSS student Simon Brandt signed as a Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems Mechanic at Culliton
Moving forward, AMDSB will continue to work to support the apprenticeship pathway by providing skilled trades workshops with elementary students as exposure to the trades as well as providing dedicated programming through opportunities such as the Specialist High Skills Major Program, Dual Credits, the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, Technological Education and Cooperative Education.
For more information on pathways programming offered at AMDSB, visit amdsb.ca/pathways
For more information
62 Chalk Street North
Seaforth Ontario
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www.amdsb.ca/
