Several Indigenous students at the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board are considering their futures in the skilled trades after spending Wednesday at the St. Anne's Skilled Trades Academy.
The students from high schools throughout the region tried their hands in welding, construction, and masonry and spoke with students currently taking co-op through the program.
"Having this experience, they can go home and have those conversations with family members or community members that they might know in the trades which will help them if this is something that sparks their interest," said Michael Urquhart, Indigenous Education Lead with the board.
Indigenous student success coach Fawne Lomascolo said the skilled trades is a pathway she encourages for many of the students she works with.
"Being in the grad success coach position, I've noticed a gap between Grade 10 and Grade 11 where attendance starts dropping, they're struggling more in traditional classrooms. So I think that this could definitely be something that we can push them towards," said Lamascolo. "It's more tactical and as Indigenous people we're definitely more hands-on, more tactive, so I think this is a great way to mitigate the barriers they are seeing in Grade 10 or Grade 11."
The construction academy is a two-year program for grade 11 and 12 students to start their apprenticeships while they are in high school. The WECDSB offers training in masonry, carpentry, welding, plumbing, and electrical.
