Students Get Skilled with Trades Workshop at Chimo Elementary School

Smiths Falls – On Thursday, Oct. 17 students at Chimo Elementary School were treated to a day of informative presentations and hands-on activities, helping spark their interest in careers in the skilled trades and technology sectors.

The school welcomed a representative from Skills Ontario who spent the day highlighting some of the benefits of employment in the world of trades and tech. With a second visit scheduled for Nov. 4, all students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 will have a chance to take in the presentation.

Skills Ontario have been presenting to students throughout the province since 1998, encouraging them to make informed decisions about their futures and educating them on the hundreds of career opportunities available in the trades.

The Chimo presentation offered valuable insights into the construction, motive power, service, industrial, and technology sectors.

The students were excited to see the variety of possible pathways they could pursue throughout their academic journey.

“It was fun to see more job options and things that I could do as a job,” said Grade 6 student Emma Berthelette.

Grade 6 student Bobby Baker already has plans for his future but thought the topics covered in the presentation were well worth it. “I really liked the millwright part. My Dad is a millwright, and I really want to be one when I’m older. The presentation was really good.”

“This presentation provided an engaging opportunity for students to see the future workforce possibilities in the skilled trades,” added Grade 5/6 teacher Allana MacDonald. “They really enjoyed it!”

One of the activities had students work together and think about what type of trade they could see themselves working in. They brainstormed some concepts for possible future businesses and students drew flyers featuring their concept name and logo.

Motivated by the inspiring stories of successful professionals, students were excited at the possibility of becoming the next generation of skilled tradespeople in their community.

The 2024-25 UCDSB Directors Work Plan has a goal to engage students, staff, and community partners in Real-World Learning and enhanced pathways that include a focus on skilled trades, apprenticeships and partnerships through the Trading Up initiative.

“We were thrilled to see our students inspired by today’s presentation on careers in the skilled trades,” added Chimo Principal Sherrie Guthrie. “It opened their eyes to exciting opportunities and showed them that success comes in many forms. We’re proud to support them as they explore paths that align with their talents and passions.”