Gatineau, Que. elementary students get hands-on experience in skilled trades
As demand for skilled trades workers soars across the country, students in Quebec are a getting a unique hands-on experience at a young age.
"The [teacher] taught us all what the machines do and how to measure the angles of the metal and all that," said Grade 5 student Dawson Reid, who is learning how to weld.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
It's part of a unique partnership between the Western Quebec Career Centre and Gatineau's Eardley Elementary School.
"That's something that we're trying to move away from, where students who are underperforming academically, they go to a trade school," said director Damian Curley.
"The trades, they're skilled trades these days. Automotive technicians have to be able to diagnose. They have to be able to problem solve. They have to be good with those kind of skills."
Students in grades 5 and 6 are selected based on their academics and interests and they have two options welding or auto mechanics.
This year so far, the elementary students have four sessions lasting two hours each.
The program started 2018 with 10 students and has since grown to 80 students.
"We meet with the teachers in both the welding and auto mechanics program ahead of time to kind of see what characteristics their students possess: creativity, desire to build things, take things apart," said principal Julia Horner.
"We really want to make sure the children know that there are different avenues, all equally as great. So one might be going the university route, but it's not a fallback, it's an actual viable road for them."
With hundreds of thousands of skilled trades workers expected to retire in the next four years, the demand has never been higher.
"I had the same kind of tactile experience these kids are having it's important to make sure people know that there are trades out there that do things like build your houses and buildings and you can be a part of it," said first year student, Mark McMillen.
But it's not just the trades, there's also a shortage of health-care workers across the country.
"Health care is one of the programs we're looking at. Maybe we can bring in the elementary school kids to learn more about health care in general," said Curley.
Paving the path at a young age, learning new skills for the future.
"Our Ministry of Education, one of their major orientations for the province this year is to make vocational training more attractive and more accessible for everybody. So that's a mandate coming from the ministry that we're very excited to tackle as well," said Curley.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Putin wants Ukraine ceasefire on current frontlines, Reuters sources say
Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to halt the war in Ukraine with a negotiated ceasefire that recognizes the current battlefield lines, four Russian sources told Reuters, saying he is prepared to fight on if Kyiv and the West do not respond.
Outdated rules and mounting losses: Can anything be done to fix Canada Post?
Canada Post needs drastic measures to staunch the fiscal bleeding and revamp its operations after a tough decade, experts say.
Trillions of cicadas are emerging in the U.S. Here's what they sound like
Two broods of periodical cicadas are emerging in the United States simultaneously for the first time since 1803. Here is what their deafening buzz sounds like.
Ontario patients visiting emergency rooms out of fear being booted by family doctor
Ontario patients are now visiting emergency departments out of fear of being de-rostered from their doctor’s office – a loophole that results in hospitals dealing with non-urgent cases, and disrupts continuity of care paramount to family medicine, according to health-care experts.
American Airlines retreats after blaming a 9-year-old for not seeing a hidden camera in a lavatory
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory.
Competition Bureau probes alleged anticompetitive conduct by Loblaws, Sobeys owners
Canada's Competition Bureau has launched investigations into the parent companies of grocery chains Loblaws and Sobeys for alleged anticompetitive conduct, court documents reveal, with Sobeys' owner calling the inquiry 'unlawful.'
A deep-dive into a failed 'Star Wars' hotel is going viral
In 2023, Disney closed a highly-publicized luxury hotel on the Walt Disney World property called 'Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.' Now, a year later, a four-hour-long YouTube deep-dive has resurfaced details about the concept and spread the niche piece of Disney lore to millions of viewers.
What is 'slapped cheek disease' and should parents be concerned?
Despite its rough name, experts say most cases of 'slapped cheek disease' are mild and not a cause for concern.
Ontario mother denied boarding flight with her family after ticket mistake
A dream vacation for an Ontario family quickly turned to frustration when a mother’s name on a ticket didn’t match the name on her passport, meaning she was left behind while her husband and two children flew to France.