Pathways to Work for Young Women
Pathways to Work for Young Women
As part of their Ontario Secondary School Graduate Diploma expectations, students are required to enroll in and successfully earn a credit in Career Studies. The course is taken at the grade 10 level. The goals of this course are to have students assess their skills, interests, and abilities and to identify careers that will best suit their aptitudes. Students also develop job search skills and investigate post secondary learning and career options to enable them to be prepared for the workplace of the future.
The course is the second step of a tiered Career Education program that has students investigating the world of work at each grade level. The grade 9 Take Our Kids To Work Day is the initial step, and Cooperative Education, OYAP, and Accelerated OYAP offer more intensive views of the workforce. In these later programs, students earn high school credits while gaining hands-on experience in the workplace.
On April 21, 140 Career Studies students from Assumption College, and St. John’s College participated in the Pathways to Work for Young Women program which has students sit in on round table conversations with women who are currently employed in a career field within our community. This year, students had the opportunity to talk to a fire fighter, banker, accountant, hairstylist, police officer, baker, iron worker, and a marketing rep. Students had the opportunity to spend an hour meeting different career people for small 10 minute conversations about their careers, the pathway that led them to their career, and some of the prerequisites to be successful in that career field.
Students were asked to comment on the event for a chance to win an 8G ipod Nano. Ellen Vollebregt commented that it was valuable “learning about the many different career options and the schooling required for each. I also learned that choosing careers in the past was much different than the process is today. ”. Megan Donnelly stated that “there are many interesting jobs out there that I was unfamiliar with before this event.”
The day was organized by Dante Dalia, Cooperative Education and OYAP Coordinator for the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board. This is the third year for this conference; for the first time, this past fall we hosted a similar event for grade ten boys.
Many thanks to the community members who agreed to participate in this event. Their contribution to the education of these students is greatly appreciated.
Special Thank You
To
Our Presenters
Alicia Betlejemski - Firefighter - Brantford Fire Department
Ashlie Hahn - Hair Designer - fifth avenue, Brantford
Carrie Whitehead - Hairstylist - Adolfo & Robert, Brantford
Heather Pavetich - Financial Adviser - TD Canada Trust, Brantford
Jaime Borden - Hairstylist - Adolfo & Robert, Brantford
Kim Rogan - Human Resources - The Children’s Aid Society of Brant
Leigh Ann Di Franzio - Baker/Owner - LA’s Cupcakes, Brantford
Liz Oden - Communication & Public Relations - Sanderson Centre
Jennifer Daley - Master Seaman CFRB Hamilton - National Defence
Pam Monarch - Therapist RMT - St. Joseph’s Life Care Centre, Brantford
RamonaRyan - Police Officer, Sergeant - Brantford Police Department
Valerie Hill - Ironworker - Ironworkers Union Local 736
