Stating they’re home to stay, a group of 12 Sault and area high school and postsecondary students have completed a tour of local workplaces to take a look at the variety of career possibilities available in the Sault to the community’s young people, given the right training.
Accompanied by Sault MPP Ross Romano as members of his provincial student committee, the students have gone on tours of OLG, Algoma Steel, JD Aero, Arauco and AECOM since February.
Each of them stating their eyes have been opened to many local career possibilities through the tour, Romano launched phase two of his provincial student committee initiative Tuesday in a speech at The Machine Shop.
The students will be taking their findings, along with a video of their tour, to high school students, beginning with a visit to Central Algoma Secondary School (CASS) Friday.
The first ever provincial student committee job fair, held in cooperation with the Algoma District School Board (ADSB) and the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board (H-SCDSB), will then take place May 30 at The Machine Shop.
“This journey has really opened my eyes to a lot of different places and businesses there are in the Sault, giving opportunities to a ton of people, and a lot of people don’t know those places are there,” said Hailey Callahan, a CASS Grade 11 student who took part in the tour with Romano, speaking to SooToday.
“I really liked AECOM. Just touring the facility made me happy. It looked like a place where I could work in the future if I want to...I like the skilled trades and the medical field, I haven’t decided what I’ll do, but I think it’s awesome how many places there are to work (locally),” said Callahan, a St. Joseph Island resident who desires to live and work in the Sault and Algoma area.
“I liked JD Aero and OLG. The workers there seemed really friendly and interacted with us. I was thinking about going into teaching, but now that I’ve seen all these different businesses, I’m starting to rethink my options,” said Breanna Hodkinson.
“Now I’m really starting to think I’ll go to Sault College or Algoma University...I can see myself working at a place like JD Aero,” said Hodkinson, a Superior Heights Collegiate Grade 11 student.
The May 30 job fair will be open to Sault and area high school students, as well as those from Algoma University and Sault College (along with the general public, beginning from 2 p.m. and continuing to 6 p.m.).
Approximately 6,000 high school students will be bused in to The Machine Shop from the Sault and area on a rotating basis for the job fair.
Rose Burton Spohn, Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board (H-SCDSB) director of education, Lucia Reece, Algoma District School Board (ADSB) director of education, Asima Vezina, Algoma University president and vice-chancellor and Ron Common, Sault College president, each spoke Tuesday of the importance of training students for the right jobs and retaining youth in the Sault.
Mike Nadeau, District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board CAO, said the students tour, sharing what they’ve seen with other students and the upcoming job fair will be “a great opportunity to allow youth of the community who are marginalized to believe in themselves.”
Nadeau added some of the swag which will be available for pickup at the job fair is being produced by Ontario Works clients currently taking part in an employment training program with Maker North.