Over 800 Grade 10 students with the public school board were given the chance to explore future high school pathways this week.
Students interested in co-op and apprenticeships visited the WFCU Centre, where the Greater Essex County District School Board and community partners were gathered to lay out the opportunities before them.
"No matter what they're looking to do, we have community partners that take co-op students across all different sectors. Anywhere from construction-related, manufacturing, business, arts, we try to get them those experiences in high school so that they can figure out, A is this for me or B this isn't for me, maybe I need to rethink what my next step is," said Justin St. Pierre, SHSM Coordinator of the Greater Essex County District School Board.
Grade 10 student Lily Diemer said the day really helped to open her eyes to what is available in the community.
"I've been wanting to talk to everyone I know to try and figure out what I can do because I want to be successful. So I'm trying to engage with people and trying to figure out what people are doing and see if there's any pathways that I might like," said Lily Diemer, Grade 10 student at Leamington District Secondary School.
Employers also find the event helpful to connect with students who may want to start an apprenticeship.
"Coming here and making sure that we're available to answer questions, it actually gets them more engaged, and it's better for us in the long run because we take apprenticeships from the OYAP program all the time," said Tanya Steer, Human Resources Manager from Integrity Tool and Mold.
Students were also treated to a Windsor Express basketball game.
