PAGE 32, WETBYFRMU PRESS, WEDNM8A'Y JUNE 1, 199<> Student aépeinticeshi prograin working well By Mike Kowalsi An innhovativeprogram which allows Durham Region students te, combine a high school educa- tion with skilled trades apprenti- ceship training appears to b. wokng. However, more employers wil- ling te take on student appren- tices are needed if the program is to ha successful in the future. The School-Workplace Appren- ticeship Pogramn (SWAP), a pilot projet of the Durham Board ofý ducation and other agencies, is intended te-make apprentioeahip training more accessible and appealingto, students. Students are able to, atart apprentioeships in their third year of high school* while con- tinuing their Ontario secondary school diploma requirements. The apprenticeship training leads te a certificats of qualifica- tion and journeyrnan status in a nuinber of skilled trades. Trades offered include motor vehicle- mechanie, general machinist, tool and die maker and precision sheet metal fabri- cation. There are currently 17 stu- dents end einployers perticipat- ing in the Durhamn prograrn. According to Sarkis %a, co- operative education/transition te employment co-ordinator for the Dun-ham board, the _ programi allows a student te become a qualitled apprentie much ear- lier. In the. past, if a student waited until cCompleting high school bore teking an apprentioeship, he/she 'wouid b. age 24 or 25 by the tine his/her training was over. «Now " by the tirne the student is finislied, he'll b. 19 or 20,» said Kay;* As Kay explained, the pregrami begins in grade 11. The student apends approximiately 75 per cent.of the school week in- the classroomn, and the rest cf the week «on the job."' Upori cempletion cf grade il, the student and, employer sign an agreement with t he Ontario Minisr3 of Skills Development which allows the à tudent te, work as a fI-time apprentioe during the suininer. The student returna for regu- 1er classes 'in grade 12 from Septenriber to January and then fiI-tiie at his workplace from January until graduation. Anothier suminer is spent working and then the student takes a one-year course in apprentioeship theory at a com- munity clee. The colle ge course only accounts for abut 10 per cent cf the year. The rest of the time is again oni-the-job training. Kay said an impoýrtant aspect of the program is that if students decide th.y do net want te pur- sue an -apprentioeship, they can still enroîl in a- coilege- or university because cf their high school diplomes. Or, they niay resume their apprentioeship training at a later date. "W. want te asee students hé hoth college graduates and sicil- led apentices,» said)Kay. «What' wrong with a lawyer heing a certified plumber or a student with a B A having jour- neyman's papers as a tool and die maker?» How successful the jpregram will eventually be depend on the participation of local employers, said Kay. uThere is great concern in the business community and gevern- ment that there ia a akilîs shor- tege, that it may hinder the economy if skilled trades people are net found," said Kay. "Mhis is a most efficient way cf solving the. problem b ut employers have to tae thé res- ponsibility te train youngq, enthu- siastic atudents who chooe a trade as acereer path. "If this dosent- occur, students who decide te go inte skilled trades will h. disappointed and will return te tth. traditional Top college students honored Lee-ann Steele of Oshawa won the top student award for 1989-90 froni Durham College in Oshawa at a convocation ceremony, Jun. 9. Steele graduated from the two-year business prograni, business information systema option. Steele wins thé Presdentfs Gold Medal, Governor General's Acadeznic Medal and the Stewart R. Alger Scholarship vaiued at $500. Steele had thé higiiest acadenic standing cf al graduating students. Other medal winners include Rodney Vandyk of Bowmanville was ewarded the college silver medal for highest ranlcing three-year graduate i technéoy; Sean Gilmore of Oshawa -received the. silver medal for th ~highest renIng two-year Iiith bsiess division, Tony Fontana of Oshawa received the college silver medal for tii. tep third-year graduate. Gary Vanderieulen cf Port Perry was awarded thé college silver medal for the highest rankIng two-year graduete and Roxanne Lingard cf Port Hope won thé bronze maedai for top- one-year graduatiniz student. Geraldine Bolton cf Whitby was awarded the college silver medal for the, highest acadeniic standin in any two or three-year a hpeâ arts program and Gerald Hoappa cf Oshawa won the. college bronze medal for any one-year progran in applied arts. In health services, Brenda Stones of Oshawa was -awerded the silver medal for th. top student in a two- or three-yeadr prograni and Lauraine Meyer. cf Bowmanville won the collage bronze medal for thé top atudént in a one-year program. path of colleges and universit- les." Whitby trustee Ianý BroP chairman cof the Durhem/ Board of Education, says the beat sales- men will be those emplQyérs now participating in SWAP. "My imp:ression is it's positive for atudents and employers, ail rpertners-- --seemn satisfied," said Brown. «rd like te, see it expand and se. 'More female studenta invol- ved,» added Brown. Frank Verwey, a spokesan for O.wasco Volkswagen, speaks highly of the progan "It'sben exceilent, it'a worked eut well firem our point of view, said Vrwe, adding that other employers sheuld take advantage cf th erogram.' Durham's progrem bas alo won the endorsernent of the Ontario Federatien of Labour. James Turk, director cf educa- tien for the 800,000-member organization, sent a letter te lahor coiincil presidents earlier this year in which he recommen- ded the Durham program as a inodel fer other Ontario schoi boards te follow. "In our view it's what a scheol program shouid b. about. It gives youngz people an additional option,» sad11"à rk. «A geed, general éducation is essentiel and it's nice and désir- able* if in addition te thiis, stu- dents could acquire an apprenti- oeship while completing their education.» Turk R-sid ' that while other school boards may offer apprent;i- ceship pro'rasit's at the expense of a high"school educa- «They nominally get the same degre. but net enough, they're worse off than sorneone Who goea threugh a regular, high school .Duhmis diffèrent. If a stu- dent, decides he doesn't went the. prograro he stili has a high achool educatin." Turk said hus letter asked local laber leaders to investigate thé. tyi e of apprenticeshp prgama oMred by their schooipbord "We urged them te follow the. Durhamn model and I underatand some- have changed their approach.» Other partners in the. Durhamn SWAP are Dunham Cellege, Mimastry cf Skilla Development;, employer1 groupa, Canada Employment Centre and Dur- ham P. *on Action, Conimitte. for Trainig. Denis O'Connor H.S. Tanya Tri nkaus Finaily, once agin Denis OtonnorStudents and, teachers have, made it to the end of a grueling uchool year. -Despito a few setbecks, ibis past year has been on. wi*th manylnigh points. Some of the mnost mnemorable DOV C eeSB of 1989-1990 include the boys' curling teaxn's ourth-place finish in Ontario th~e histoey department's trip to Egypt the girls field lacrosu tean,' and the. drama department's terrifie productioWof You Can't Tak it Wlth You.'And the list can go onand on. Studentsshould feel proud'of their acccnplishments which helped to make sehooljus a bit more berable and for soine, inaybe even exciting. <An.exanple of the energy of-,DaXC students can b. oMn in our new1y elected student concil exécutive for nert year. At the. June 1, CFN dacethe winners' namnes were announoed the'anious attending students. As promnised, hors is alist of the wnners: Norm Favit, president; Chrie-Saniga, vice p=sdent; TeigeReid treasurer;, Dawn Marucci, s*CrMar Elise Glbr, ialcnneýSa Iil gannoni, senior Tep; and Kirtn Franz, junior rep. I would like to congratulate not only the. winners, but also ail of the other candidateS,* ail of whorn ran excellent campaigne. I ar n sur, though, thatthe new council.meinhers will make next year just as ex.citing, if not more, than this year. Continuing with more' gcd news, students Laura Brown and Kathleen Monk with teacher Mr. Kraus, attended the Hugh O'Brian Youth FePundation' Eastern Ontario Leadership, Seminar. Held on June 1, 2 and 3 at Tfrent University, it was- anoprtny for them to listen to speakers w ho are leaders in areas cf busegovernment;, and the sciences. Their speeches were to help ail of the grade 10 students w1ho attended from different achools acrose Ontario becomne aware of their leadership potential. DO'Cst grade 10 student Kathleen Monk was chosen fxrni 50 -students in the region froni Ottawa to Pickering to attend an international leadership serninar i St. Paul and Minneapois, Mùinesota fi=m July 22 to Ang. 4. This should b. a grea exerinco s Ierewill b. students from aIl overthe U.S., EuoeC a paCinad Russia attending as well. Congratulations% and have lfun! However, before we get into the sunmer, final exams still have to b. written. Today is the last official day ofschool and tomorrow *exams start and will run until June 22. By now, Pin sure that most students have started their serious"studying. Good Iuck.? On. of the saddest parts about coniing te the end of a school year la having to say goodbye to ail thoee graduating. On Sunday, June 24, the graduation mass wil be held at 2 p.m. at St. Bernadette' Church. At 7 p.n. the, following Tuesday evening, June 26, the graduation cerenonies 'wiIl take place at DO'C. Finally, on Wed., June 27, the event te which moet lookc forward, the achool prom, will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Hotel. Have a great Uirne to all thuse who are going,- and te ail the graduates, the best of luck in your future endeavors! And finafly, as the school year cores te an end, so must my last article. I would like to wish everyone a veiy safl and enjoyable sumnyer, and I see yen back at school i September. ST.L TBRSA s chool recently bld St. Theresa7s. The Society for Educa- adieu to eMehngestudents fom. tional Visite and Exchange in Ecole .Joseph de Serigny as tley Canada sponsored the fourth returned to Quebec after a week- ecag between the two schools. long vist with students and staf of Free PRe photo