November 1st 2011
 

Students look to industry for hands-on relevance

Show them

Chuck Daly couldn’t resist trying out the Canadian Collision Industry Forum’s (CCIF) virtual paint booth featured at the CARS Council display, to see why many  of the 7,000 students  thought it was so ‘sikk’ and ‘cool’.

To attract new talent, you’ve got to show them what you’re offering and what you expect.  “Young people need to see the relevance of why they are learning what they are learning, and how they will use it in everyday life, “says Chuck Daly Consultant Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, Co-op, Experiential Learning and Student with the Ottawa Catholic School Board. Daly is one of the organizers of the annual Work For You Too (WRK 4U2) /World of Work career fair, co-hosted by the Ottawa Carleton District School Board and the Catholic board. Some 7,000 grade 7 & 8  students come to explore employment possibilities in transportation, services, information technology, construction and manufacturing.

Engage them in conversations

Daly feels that it’s important for employers, at career fairs and in their shops, ”to have conversations with the students to point out where the possible relevance is of what they are studying in terms of that particular sector, and, wherever possible, to give practical examples of how math skills, for instance,  are  used in the trade.” It reinforces with the students the importance of the essential skills they have talked about in the classroom with their teachers when they hear which skills are “most valued at the job site or in the sector.“ says Daly. “Then everybody is clear on what is expected to be learned. Students are better able to co-construct the learning goals and objectives with their teachers, based on that workplace process they have seen because they start making these connections between what they are learning and the practical applications this will have for the rest of their lives.

Team up

There are many ways industry employers can team up with educators or other employers to attract student interest in the aftermarket- In-school visits, open houses, in store displays, job shadowing, and participating at career events to name a few. At WRK 4U2/ World of Work the CARS Council and CCIF combined an exciting, memorable activity with practical information on how essential skills and knowledge learned in school translate into job skills. Students, teachers and local media came away with a better awareness of collision repair and other automotive aftermarket jobs as viable career options.  Armed with an Essentials Skills activity package created by the CARS Council, students came to see exhibits by employers, schools, and post-secondary institutions and explore co-operative education, apprenticeship, College, University and career choices which will prove valuable as they pursue their own educational pathway to success.

Essential skills provide a common language used to talk about skills demands across occupations, as well as the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their job and adapt to workplace change. They are transferable from school to work, job to job and sector to sector.

For more information on essential skills in automotive occupations go to www.carsessentials.ca or befriend us on the CARSessentials Facebook page. 

The Industry Presenters Guide on www.carsyouth.ca offers many pointers on engaging students and gaining visibility for your shop in your community.

For information on the CCIF Skills program contact Director Leanne Blackborow at lblackborow@rogers.com.