Exploring the Trades

Exploring the Trades
Posted on 12/04/2019
Trades fair participantsWritten by Arianna Rojas, Student Journalist

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” -Dr. Seuss

In an attempt to inspire students, Holy Trinity Catholic High School in Bradford West Gwillimbury exposes the Grade 10 students to different aspects of the workforce through the “Skilled Trades Fair.” On Nov. 27 and 28, school board staff coordinated the fair hoping to show students that the trades are a viable career option.

“The Skilled Trades Fair” consisted of ten different stations, each representing a different trade. The students split into groups of two or three and rotated through each station, where they were given a task to complete. This gave the students a hands-on experience while allowing them to get a feel for the job. The stations ranged from hospitality and tourism where the students put together a formal place setting to automotive service technician, where they separated different engine fluids to their respectful spots within the car. Students were seen styling hair, welding pipe cleaners, building birdhouses, wiring receptacles, connecting pipes, and hammering nails into wood.

“I’ve known I wanted to be an electrician for a while. There are many people looking for electricians in the work-force and I enjoy working with my hands. It’s practically my dream job,” said Diogo S., a Grade 10 student who attended the fair. Similar to Diogo, many other students took an interest in the activities they took part in and have now decided to further explore a career in the trades.

The fair gave insights into what it is like to work in different trades. There are many other types of occupations in this section of the workforce and many don’t know much about what it entails. The school board staff hoped that the “Skilled Trades Fair” extended students’ knowledge about the many possibilities and career paths there are but most importantly, that all the students had fun!