HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Rural Voice, 1993-02, Page 29anything to do with working.
Jason Costain of Formosa says its
easier studying math and science
when the farming examples are
involved. Still, he readily admits, "I
like getting out doing hands-on work
more than sitting in school all the
time." His first work placement last
fall involved working on a dairy farm
and he says he enjoys
being around the animals.
He likes working on
trucks too, however, and
thinks in the long run he
may look at getting his
diesel mechanic's licence.
***
The program was
designed by Tim Mancell,
co-op education resource
teacher for the Bruce
County Board of
Education, who has
organized such innovative
co-op programs for the
board as the program that
sees students work at the
Bruce Nuclear Power
Development and the
tourism program at the Bruce
Peninsula High School which places
students in tourism businesses.
Mancell had looked at the county and
realized the three big industries were
Ontario Hydro, tourism and
agriculture, and set out to design
programs to get students involved in
all three. The Agricul-
ture/Agribusiness program became
viable for the board of education
when the Canadian Immigration and
Employment Commission agreed to
provide $400,000 in funding for the
program. Students in the program
must be those eligible to enroll in
Grade 12 math, science and English,
or adult students who want to obtain
credits toward their diploma. One of
the students in this year's course is a
21 -year-old who has returned to
school to get his diploma.
Stewart Brown was brought in to
teach the program. Brown grew up
near Tara, leaving to study
agricultural science at the University
of Guelph then working with
agribusiness before turning to
teaching. Five years ago he returned
to take over the family farm at Tara
and now has a small herd of
Charolais. To his unique credentials
in both farming and agribusiness is
added an enthusiasm for the program
that shines through as he talks about
it. There are changes he'd like to
make to make the program available
to more students, but he knows the
value of the program to the students
who now are using it. Most of this
year's class is from the basic or
general level (as opposed to the
chance to get out of the routine of
school and get directly involved in
work, he said.
***
An advisory committee has been
set up to assist the program. It's
chaired by Byron Monk of Elmwood,
who is also president of the Bruce
County Federation of Agriculture.
Brian Damm of Grey -Bruce Ag
Employment sits on the
committee as does Pat
Kuntz of the Walkerton
OMAF office, along
with three farmers and
two representatives of
agri-businesses in the
county.
The committee
provides feedback on
the workplace portion
of program, offers
suggestions and guid-
ance and sometimes
helps identify possible
employers for thc
students. There arc
good ideas that come
from the committee that
just can't be
implemented because of the structure
of the school system, Brown says.
***
Richard Brindley of Teeswater
wants to get into welding. He had
already taken welding shop classes at
WDSS before enrolling in the
agriculture/agribusiness course. He'd
helped out at his uncle's welding
shop as well. His first work term was
at J. C. Welding, near Walkerton
where he helped with everything
from repair work, to some work on
building construction, to making pens
and railings. The class, he says, gives
him experience he couldn't get at
home. The program helps give him
the credits he needs to graduate, plus
the experience he wants to know
about.
pari Bushell i
btu
Student orn s fain
Hagedorn'
age facturing Pte.
advanced level students who are
pointing toward university). Most
will go directly into industry or seek
an apprenticeship program in a trade,
though one female student has
already been accepted at Centralia
College. Most advanced students
can't afford to devote a whole year to
the program, delaying their
accumulation of the credits needed
for university entrance, he says.
***
Dan Bushell travels all the way
from Bruce Beach, west of Ripley on
the Lake Huron shoreline, to attend
the classes. He had worked on farms
doing chores such as haying but had
no concentrated farm experience.
He's interested in construction work
and got a chance to see about
building farm equipment when he
took his first work term with Bob
Hagedorn of N. E. Hagedorn Ltd.
near Paisley. Dan illustrates the
sacrifices students have to make to be
part of the program. Students are
responsible for finding their own
transportation to work so Dan had to
make a long trip from home to his job
each day. The students also have to
provide the clothing for their work
placement. The work gives him a
***
Most courses students take in the
modern school system arc designed
to put them in a position for higher
education, at the university or college
level. Usually that means thc students
will go off to an urban university and
never return to their home
community. The skills they have
gained just aren't matched by the jobs
in their community. Prctty well all of
this year's class in the
FEBRUARY 1993 25