The Rural Voice, 2000-05, Page 21Ron Ritchie, program co-ordinator
(left) and his assistant Wendy Case
(right) worked with students Rob
Wolfe and Cory Broughton at "A
Slice of Huron."
held in Seaforth.
The students come from schools
all over the two counties. To make it
more convenient for participation, the
program moves between schools. The
September class was headquartered
at the South Huron District High
School in Exeter to be near the IPM
site. The current class is based in
Mitchell and features students from
six different schools. Originally the
intent was to switch between all the
different secondary schools in the
two counties, says Ritchie, but since
students have to find their own
transportation for the in -class
periods, it has become evident that
holding classes in schools in the
extremities of the area would make it
difficult for people to attend from the
other end of the region. Schools
central to the area will likely be
chosen to host the program in future
— probably Mitchell and Clinton.
Though it means considerable
travel for students from the farthest
reaches of the two counties, their
time in class is actually a small part
of each semester. Students start off
with three weeks of classes then
undertake a job placement, then
return to class before going on a
second placement.
In -class sessions include a series
of guest speakers by specialists in the
fields. Farm Credit Corporation, for
instance, holds a class on access to
financing. There's a full-day
workshop on farm safety. There is
chain saw instruction and an on-site
workshop on safety in the bush.
As well, in preparing for their
future, the students are taught
how to write a resume and
skills for surviving job interviews.
Helping Ritchie have been teachers
Judi McLeod at South Huron and
Doug Stewart in Mitchell, as well as
educational assistant Wendy Case.
When students have finished their
classroom lessons, it's off to work.
For the winter semester, for instance,
students did a five-week job
placement before Easter, then an
eight week placement in the spring
when farms and farm -related
businesses will be at the peak of their
activity. In the fall the eight-week
placement may come first to take
advantage of the busy fall season on
farms and businesses.
Farm placements has included the
whole variety of local commodities:
dairy, beef, swine, poultry, cashcrops
and every combination of these,
Ritchie says. The agri-business
placements have included implement
dealers, feed mills, veterinary clinics.
a dairy supply company and even a
large maple syrup operation. Most of
the job placements are close to home
for the students.
By working both on a farm and in
an agriculturally -related business
students will widen their experience,
Ritchie says. While most of students
come from a farm background there
are some who aren't farm kids but
have worked on farms.
While some of the students might
think of the program as an easy way
to get credits before finishing school
and going straight to work, in almost
every case the job placement
supervisers and employers are
encouraging them to get an
education, Ritchie says. "Most will
go on to an agricultural college when
they mightnot have considered that
in the past," he says.
That's part of Cory Broughton's
plan now. He'll take a year to
work and save money so he
can go to college. He's always been
interested in poultry and has worked
on a poultry farm while going to
school.
Broughton heard of the program
from a guidance counsellor at his
school. The word is spreading about
the program, says Ritchie, not only
through guidance counsellors and the
displays taken around to the different
schools, but from the students who
have taken the Bridges program.
Next year he expects 20 students to
enroll in each semester of the
program.0
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