Specialist High Skills Major students “Explore a Career in Mining”

A total of 100 students enrolled in the Rainbow District School Board’s Specialist High Skills Major in Mining will “Explore a Career in Mining” at Cambrian College on Friday, March 5, 2010. Four schools currently offering the program – Chelmsford Valley District Composite School, Espanola High School, Lively District Secondary School and Lockerby Composite School – will enjoy a full day of activities presented by community partners in industry and education.

The Specialist High Skills Major, launched four years ago, enables students to explore careers in specific sectors. Cambrian College, Rainbow District School Board, the Federated School of Mines, Sandvik Mining and Construction Canada Inc, Toromont CAT and Hatch are making this community outreach opportunity available to students.

“Linking classroom instruction with real life experiences is a key component of this program,” says Sofia Gallagher, Rainbow District School Board’s Program Co-ordinator for Specialist High Skills Major programs. “Students will get a first-hand look at the wealth of opportunities available in a sector that continues to experience growth.”

According to the Mining Industry Human Resource Sector Council, the mining and mining processing industries directly employed 363,000 Canadians in 2007. Current estimates indicate that the mining industry will need thousands of additional workers each year up to 2016.

During this full-day presentation, Bruce Lang, senior project estimator at Stantec, will talk to students about the industry’s requirement for workers. Students will then have an opportunity to participate in two workshops at Cambrian College. The workshops will introduce students to the range of activities that are part of the mining program at the college. Students will also tour an industry work site to gain a deeper understanding of the type of training that is required to pursue a career in this field.

A Specialist High Skills Major is a ministry-approved program that allows students to customize their learning experience while working towards and meeting the requirements of an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. The Specialist High Skills Major allows students to focus on a career path that matches their individual skills and interests.

Students who complete a major will graduate from secondary school with the knowledge, skills, and industry-recognized qualifications desired by employers, and postsecondary education and training institutions. Rainbow District School Board was the first Board in Ontario to pilot a Specialist High Skills Major in Mining in 2006.

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Media Contact:

Sofia Gallagher, Curriculum Co-ordinator for Specialist High Skills Major Programs
Rainbow District School Board, (705) 523-3308 ext. 8203