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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2007-05-23, Page 13The Huron Expositor • May 23, 2007 Page 13 News Demand for apprenticeship programs continues to rise Stew Slater The `untruths about apprenticeships are really coming to light," says the coor- dinator for apprenticeship programs at the Avon Maitland District School Board. And it shows in the number of stu- dents choosing the skilled trades as a career path: the board has once again submitted a record number of names for apprenticeships in 2006-07, continuing an upward trend of several years. Glen McGregor appeared in the "Good News" section of a regular meeting Tuesday, May 8 to inform trustees about the success of two Listowel District Secondary School (LDSS) technical stu- dents in a provincial skills competition. The students will compete in Saskatoon at the end of May in the national event. He concluded by noting that, so far this year, the board has submitted 110 applications to the Ontario Ministry of Colleges, Training and Universities for apprenticeship status. Speaking to reporters afterwards, he noted this is up from 89 in 2005-06, about 80 the previous year, and 40 before that. "And we're not finished this year. I think we'll hit about 120 by the end of the year," said McGregor, coordinator of the Avon Maitland version of the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP). OYAP placements are available to stu- dents at all of the board's high schools. But speaking to trustees, he empha- sized the programs at LDSS and Stratford. Northwestern — facilities which have benefit- ed from recent provincial funding boosts. "I think it really reflects what these two schools have done in the skilled trades," he told the meeting. Staffa Women's Institute disbands after 104 years The Staffa Women's Institute disbanded recently after having been around for over 100 years. "We were down to five mem- bers. One of them is a lady with MS who couldn't always come," said Kay Smale, the last president of the Institute. "We didn't have enough to carry on the workload," she said, explaining that there weren't enough women to fill the executive positions that a branch requires to function. Esther Smale, who compiled a history of the group, said the Staffa branch formed July 13, 1903. Back then a membership cost 25 cents. When the Institute disbanded this year, membership was $37. According to Esther, the meetings were always held in members' homes. They opened meetings by singing the Maple Leaf Forever, switching in later ars to 0 Canada, which they ,ilowed with the Opening Ode 'and Maty Stewart Collect. Esther said that over the Years, thy gave support to many local institutions, includ- ing Perth County Children's Aid, Cromarty Boy Scouts, South Hibbert Recreation Park, Mitchell Public Library and the Adelaid Hoodless Museum. Members held picnics and ice cream socials to make money "for the members to buy yarn for the boys in the wars of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945." The Staffa group put togeth- er a cook book in 1953. Esther said the group often helped with food boothes at local plowing matches s and auc- tion sales. In the mid-1990s, "Hibbert township had their Levees (and) the Institute always had a display to correspond with the Levee." Kay Smale said that Women's Institutes have worked toward bettering their communities for years, being responsible for things like putting the yellow lines on highways and flashing lights on school buses. "It originally started when Adelaide Hoodless lost her son," Smale said. Hoodless learned that boiling milk might have prevented the death. She led a campaign lob- bying government to pasteur- ize milk. "She started it (the first Women's Institute) to teach the ladies to boil their milk" Smale said this function of teaching rural women things they need to know has become less essential with television and computers there to learn from. "We're all getting older and the younger women work," she said. "They don't have the time because when they get off work, they're ruining the kids to a ball practice or something like that" The Staffa Women's Institute disbanded in early April. Afterwards, he told reporters LDSS accounts for about 40 of this year's apprenticeship applications, while num- bers from Northwestern and F.E. Madill in Wingham are "in the 20s." "But all the schools in the board are contributing to the OYAP program ... I think the board would like to expand tech programs in all the schools. But, of course, financing is a challenge." McGregor expressed confidence the trend will continue at the provincial level to increase support for training in the skilled trades. Initiatives like the "Learning to 18" fund — which aims to retain students who might otherwise be at risk of dropping out — are indications of the increasing value placed on appren- ticeships. "There's good publicity about the trades now ... Parents are calling me more and more," he said, ad ng an apprenticeship is no longer seen as a last resort or something to fill time while thinking about other opportunities. And the results are there — not only in the form of graduates finding full-time work, but in the form of students staying in school. "Even in schools where our enrolment is declining, our technical enrolment is up," McGregor said. 1': G CAN REMAIN! 11 i mr VIII nulhi� (ii� _ = t ORE CLOSIN ELOCATION SUPERS TYLE stylus EP PALLISER 6 DECOR -REST INCLUDED ON ALL SALE PRICES IN -STOCK MERCHANDISE ONLY UNTIL SUNDAY PREVIOUS SALES EXCLUDED MILTbn SPI . . 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