Twenty grade ten students from the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, and the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board are participating in TechBytes, a two-day program at Loyalist College. The objective of this initiative is to introduce high school students to the wide range of program choices and career opportunities in the fields of skills and technology. On November 24th, the students toured the Loyalist campus, and attended a presentation of the Broadcast Engineering program. Prior to leaving campus they chose two programs to revisit on December 3rd. The second day will include a review of Industrial Safety Practices and a presentation about the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP). The students will then work in the two shop areas they selected on November 24th. Participating in the event are Moira Secondary School, Bayside Secondary School, Nicholson Catholic College, St. Theresa Secondary School, Trenton High School and St. Paul Catholic Secondary School students.
Brennan Tracey from Bayside Secondary School feels that this is a good opportunity to learn about the programs offered at Loyalist. “I now understand the different types of classes that you take in the skills areas and I’m looking forward to being in the welding, machining and automotive classes when we come back. I know I am learning things through this experience that will be helpful as I go through the career decision process.”
“I had no idea there were so many programs offered at Loyalist,” said Samantha Mundreon from Trenton High School. “I’m really looking forward to coming back in December and being right in the classes. We were also told about the Student For A Day program at the College. I’m going to take advantage of that and try other programs as well.”
“We talk to the students about college in the classroom but the impact is much greater when they visit the campus in person,” said Randy Votary, Science and Technology Coordinator at Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board. “This group has the opportunity to see the enthusiasm of students and staff at Loyalist as they talk about the career opportunities in the skills and trades areas. Each time I come to Loyalist I see something new. Our goal is to empower the students to make informed post-secondary choices based on an understanding of the career options these choices can lead to.”
The TechBytes project is offered by Partnering to Articulate Student Success (PASS), a School-College-Work Initiative (SCWI). The SCWI is a cooperative effort of the Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE) and the Committee of College Presidents (COP) and is jointly funded by the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.
In addition to programs such as TechBytes, Loyalist encourages individuals to be a Student For A Day and experience the program they are interested in first-hand. Those interested in booking a day can call (613) 969-1913, ext. 2204.
Media Contact: Marilyn Warren, Communications, Loyalist College (613) 969-1913, ext. 2332; e-mail: mwarren@loyalistc.on.ca