The New Frontiers School Board brought back its popular Trades is Motion event on March 28, showcasing the 17 vocational programs on offer between the three adult education and training centres in Huntingdon, Ormstown, and Chateauguay.
“Recognizing the value of early career exploration, we wanted to reintroduce Trades in Motion, especially for younger students who are still discovering their interests,” said Brooke Wilson, an adult and vocational education development officer with the NFSB.
Approximately 600 students in Grades 7 and 8 at Chateauguay Valley Regional High School and Howard S. Billings High School took part in the hands-on event, which included interactive activities and challenges designed to introduce students to the different trades.
“We are planting a seed,” said Marilou Thomassin, the assistant director at the NOVA Career Centre. “We are giving the students options, so they have an idea of the possibilities of what they can do after high school,” she explained.
The event was organized by the NFSB’s Youth and Adult Counselor Committee, which brings together youth and adult educational personnel. Wilson said that following the success of this mini version, the committee is hoping to collaborate with other school boards to include even more vocational programs and to open the event to the public in years to come.