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The Citizen, 2001-01-10, Page 6Discussions iron out bugs • • • WINGHAM & DISTRICT HOSPITAL HIGHLIGHTS DIABETIC EDUCATION CLASS: The next program will be held on Thursday, January, 23, 2001. Please call Linda Kieffer at 357-3210 ext. 362 to register. A doctor's referral is required. FIBROMYALGIA EDUCATION WORKSHOPS: The Rehabilitation Department will be holding a short series of classes designed at increasing your knowledge and skills for living with fibromyalgia. Classes will run on Wednesdays, 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., February 14 through, March 14, 2001. To register, please contact Denise Mino, Rehabilitation Services Secretary at 357-1310, ext. 268. GRIEF SUPPORT: A HEALING ENCOUNTER MINISTRY St. Paul's Trinity Anglican Church and the Wingham & Area Palliative Care Services are offering a Grief Support Group for the people of the Wingham com- munity, regardless of church association or religious affiliation. The group will meet on Friday, January 19th at 2:00 p.m. at St. Paul's Trinity church and contin- ue to meet for 10 weeks. To register call Rev. Len Myers at 357-2634. WINGHAM & DISTRICT HOSPITAL AUXILIARY MEETING: The next meeting of the auxiliary will be held on Monday, January 22, 2001 from 1:30 - 2:30 in the Terrace Room at the hospital. All members and anyone interest- ed in becoming a member are welcome to attend. For more information, call Brenda Anger at 357-3889. NEW YEAR GREETINGS: From the staff at WDH to our community, our wishes for a happy and prosperous new year. Your support of the hospital is greatly appreciated. Phone: 357-3210 Fax: 357-2931 E-Mail: winghosp@wcl.on.ca GROSS/ALLEN Saturday, September 30, 2000 was a beautiful day for the marriage of Anita Gross to Scott Allen. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Paul Ross at Knox United Church, Auburn. The bride's attendants included maid of honour April Gross, bridesmaids Jennifer Woodroffe and Dianne Randall, and flowergirl Erin Norsworthy. The groom was accompanied by Derek Bradshaw, Harold Woodroffe, Bryan Gross and ringbearer Robert Norsworthy. Readers during the ceremony were Elva Brown, Andrea Sutherland and Donald Laing. The soloist Elizabeth Lue-Kim was accompanied by Nancy Park. Master of ceremonies for the reception held at the Goderich Township Hall was Doug Norsworthy. Anita and Scott would like to thank all of their attendants, friends and family for making their long awaited wedding so memorable. PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2001. County now has housing, but no control As of Jan. 1, Huron County is now the owner of public housing in the county, but it's not in control. While ownership of the public housing units has been transferred, management has not been trans- ferred, said Lynn Murray, county clerk-administrator. Continued from page 1 next door. Hambides said there was a 14-foot wall separating the two areas and ven- tilation to take out the fumes. Diesel fumes are unpleasant but not a danger to health, he said, but he promised to look at the situation about a ceiling. There was one unexpected problem in paging paramedics in the Exeter area, he said. The Ministry of Health, which is responsible for the commu- nications system, had tried out the paging system in Exeter earlier and it "At this stage you're in limbo. "You own it but the province actual- ly runs it," she told councillors at the Jan. 4 meeting of council. Asked about the provincial plan to sell subsidized single-family unit social housing, Murray told council the issue "seems to have died a natu- worked but after the move of the Dashwood and Zurich stations to Exeter, there were some problems with paging. This was solved by using telephone calls instead in the short term and ministry officials were mov- ing a pew transmitter station into the Exeter area, he said. Meanwhile the county has under- taken market value assessments. of various locations offered for perma- nent sites for ambulance stations including four for the Clinton- Seaforth station. ral death" after a hue and cry from municipalities over the issue. The problem with the province's plans, she explained, was that the province would have reaped the financial reward of selling the units but its legislation would require the municipalities to replace them with Approval has also been given for a switch of the base hospital for the ambulance station from Sarnia to Owen Sound but it may be several weeks or months before the switch is complete, Lynn Murray, county clerk- administrator told council. The base hospital sets the standards for the county system. One of the attractions of the Owen Sound base, Murray told new council members, was the 'con- centration, by the doctor in charge, on the special nature of rural emergen- cies. multi-family units. The houses were paid off long ago and cost little to keep going but it was estimated it would cost municipalities $100,000 a unit to replace them. When you took into account how much some of the low-income people could afford to pay in rent, the difference between the mortgage payments and the income would mean an ever-increas- ing. cost of social housing, Murray said. Huron County council passed a bylaw at its Jan. 4 meeting that will permit severance in some Morris Twp. cases where there is more than one residence on a farm. Planning Director Gary Davidson explained that there are only four of 10 possible situations in the town- ship that would meet the require- ments of the bylaw. In some cases But though there has been no men- tion lately on the subject of selling the units, Murray warned the issue may not be dead. "The minister (Tony Clement, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing) seems to have a philoso- phy that it's abhorrent to have subsi- dized single family units when (other) people are having problems paying their mortgages," she said. the extra residence is a mobile home and would not qualify. Davidson, in answering a question from Goderich Councillor Deb Shewfelt, said that one of the criteria that will be used in allowing a sever- ance, is whether or not a nearby live- stock operation would be hindered by having a non-farm residence in the area. • Morris plan gets okay People ignorant of academic level needed in many trades Continued from page 5 would suggest a trade as an equal option for students to enter? Many people are guilty of ignorance when it comes to the understanding of the level of academic, not just practical, skills required by many trades. Most trades demand the ability to dO col- lege level entrance math and in some trades, university entrance level math is recommended. These factors contribUte to the cri- sis. The average age of a tradesperson in Huron Codrity is 50+ years of age. In some cases tradesperson retirees are almost impossible to replace. In other cases more than one person needs to be hired to obtain the expe- rience the retiree possessed. The Huron manufacturers also list obtaining people willing to train in skills as a concern. The Manufacturing Sector Strategic Plan's Situation Audit states: "Over the next five years, manufacturers expect that 189 workers will retire, including 53 (28 per cent) who are currently in the skilled trades.", and "by 2001, manufacturers project a demand for an additional 339 skilled trade workers, ...however, appren- ticeship activity in the county will provide less than 10 per cent of the projected demand." This lack of an available skill workforce is already taking its toll as the Situation Audit reveals, "In the past three years some manufacturers (23.6 per cent) have been unable to take advantage of business opportu- nities... while others (16.4 per cent) have had to curtail operations due to a shortage of appropriately trained personnel." Accessibility to facilities needed to train those who are willing to upgrade and learn new skills is also a factor identified by the Manufacturing Sector Strategic Plan. These all contribute to the crisis. What will alleviate the crisis? .The realization that apprenticeship training IS the third pillar of formal- ized education in Ontario! It is regu- lated by the Ministry of Trades, Colleges and Universities. In sec- ondary schools it is also regulated by the Ministry of Education. The sec- ondary school document, Cooperative Education Policy and Procedures, outlines the require- ments for students to enter an apprenticeship while still in second- ary school. The minimum requirements are successful completion of Grade 10 and the student must be 16 years of age. This program is called, the "Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program," (OYAP). A student can enter this program in one of the 130 trades by signing as an apprentice. He or she will obtain credits toward their secondary school diploma (OSSD), is credited for the time and/or competencies they acquire as apprentices, gets a head start on a career; and are also employees of the business that sponsors them as apprentices. Summer jobs, after school and weekend jobs are therefore already secured. Apprenticeships are a vital mode of education that lead to suc- cess. This awareness will help allevi- ate the crisis. The Manufacturing Sector Strategic Plan has identified appren- ticeships as a vehicle to improve the skills shortage in manufacturing in Huron County. They endorse the OYAP program. With the help of the Huron Business Development Corporation, who has partnered with the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board and the Avon Maitland District School Board, the Manufacturing Group has secured funding to hire a co-ordinator to address all the findings from the Strategic Plan. One major goal that is being addressed presently by the co-ordi- nator is the awareness that appren- ticeships are the "third pillar" of edu- cation and are a logical and practical choice for our youth. Over 40 pre- sentations on this topic have been made to students, teachers and par- ents by the co-ordinator. Other part- ners for the co-ordinator project are, Perth Foundation for Enriching Education, the Town of Goderich, the County of Huron and the federal government (HRDC). The Huron manufacturers desire our thanks for this work. This effort will help alle- viate the crisis. The Ministry of Education has launched a major province-wide marketing campaign titled, "Passport to Prosperity." This campaign encourages more employers to part- ner with secondary schools in Work Experience programs, such as OYAP. This will help alleviate the crisis, There are many ways to help alle- viate the crisis, but perhaps the fol- lowing figures will open some eyes. Many tradespeople in Huron County earn more than $50,000 annually. Provincially in manufacturing, tool and die, industrial electricians and millwrights frequently earn consid- erably more. There are numerous ways to improve oneself both educationally and financially once a trade licence has been acquired. In many cases employers are willing to pay for the cost of employee upgrading, whether that is at college, trade school or locally delivered short courses. Remember, apprentices earn wages while they are being educated on the job. The appreciation of these facts will help alleviate the crisis. Skills Canada has launched two 30- second television ads that equate trades with professions, in law, med- icine etc. This will help alleviate the crisis. We still have a long way to go in educating our youth that apprentice- ships are plausible alternatives. We still have a long way to go in inform- ing our parents, teachers and com- munities in general of the opportuni- ties available to youth in areas of skilled trades and job entry skills. We need to come to grips with the fact that trades afford people a high stan- dard of living, a challenging career that requires many skills and a high level of aptitude. Once these things are realized, then and only then can the direction of the potential crisis be altered. Sincerely, Glenn McGregor Business and Education Co-ordinator Manufacturing Groun.