Contact: Rod Jerred Phone: 905-845-3824 (ext. 5559) Fax: 905-337-5567 e-mail: rjerred@haltonsearch.com BUSINESS A golf challenge Lexus of Oakville held its C lub Lexus G olf Invitational recently at the Thom as M cBroom designed R attlesnake Point G olf C lub in M ilton. The invitational was open to all am ateu r golfers aged 19 and over who purchased th eir vehicles from Lexus of Oakville. I-exus dealers across C anada held sim ilar events to rew ard th eir guests for th eir valued business. The winning male and female golfer from each dealership event was invited to Toronto to play in the N ational C lub Lexus C up Challenge on Sept. 16. Representing Lexus of O akville are Ken Olsen and M ary M argaret-Sinclair. The invitational raised $3,600 for the Oakville H um ane Society in tru st of " The Patch Challenge." Taking up the challenge were cus tom ers Roy K eane, top left, Luis Bettio and Pete Tarpay, above, C arol Fahey, N orm a Lowry, Diane Weale and Jan e Hilton, below, and Lexus of Oakville President F ran k Apa. Photos By Chantal Ayotte · Special to the Oakville Beaver Province announces new training alternative New Co-op Diploma Apprenticeship Program speeds up skilled trades training By Paula Henriques OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Those interested in a career in skilled trades can now com plete their apprenticeship train ing and receive their college diploma at the same time. M inister of Training, Colleges and Universities Dianne Cunningham announced the new Co-op Diploma Apprenticeship Program at the Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning's Skills "A more highly skilled workforce is critical to Ontario's economic growth." · Dianne Cuntiingham, Minister o f Training, Colleges and Universities Training Centre on Iroquois Shore Road, last week. Cunningham said the pro gram should increase the num ber o f skilled workers in Ontario. The Co-op Diploma A pprenticeship Program will provide both apprenticeship cer tification and a college diploma in less time than it would gener ally take a student to complete both programs back to back. The program will receive $2 million in provincial funding for the first year. "A more highly skilled workforce is critical to Ontario's econom ic grow th," said FRUSTRATED? D o You Enjoy E a rn in g 2 . 5 % O n Y ou r D e p o sits W h ile Y ou r M o n e y Is L o an e d O u t A t H ig h e r R a te s? CareVest 'CapitalInc www.carevest.com Why N ot Change Positions And Earn 10% or More? Call Toll Free E-m ail 905-848-7700 1-866-718-5193 direct@carevest.com 54 Village Centre Place Mississauga. ON L4Z 1V9 Mississauga · Calgary · Edmonton · Lethbridge · Vancouver · Victoria Cunningham. "By com bining a college diplom a with apprenticeship training, we are giving students a new opportunity to earn skills that lead to high paying jobs." "It's long over-due," she added. This new initiative should encourage more students to become interested in a career in skilled trades, said Cunningham. This announcem ent was made on the heels of the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program launched four years ago that helps students in secondary school train for an apprentice ship while completing their high school diplomas. This year alone, the program will provide about 12,000 stu dents in 71 school boards with experience in more than 80 skilled trades. "It allowed students to get a head start on their careers," said Cunningham. The new Co-op Diploma Dianne C unningham A pprenticeship Program will attract more students into the skilled trades and offer more choices for them, she said. Trades like cooking and pre cision machining and tooling will be the first to have curricu la developed under the new model, however, other skilled trades will be added later as the program expands. Program training sites have not been chosen, yet. but are currently undergoing a formal selection process. Cunningham explained the new program would also benefit employers across Canada, not only Ontario, since the new training will gain them access to more apprentices with a higher level of training. To encourage potential employers to be a part of the program, they will now be receiving the long-awaited refundable apprenticeship tax credit. "The credit has been asked for by employers for as long as I've been at Q ueen's Park," joked the minister. She stressed that for the new program to work, "we need employers for placements and jobs."