Companies honoured for co-op participation

Sudbury and Manitoulin Workforce Planning presented several local businesses with Employer Stellar Awards for their participation in secondary and post-secondary education co-op programs Nov. 6.

Each of the local schools boards and the two local colleges nominated employers for the awards.

“Every other year, we recognize the businesses who have consistently taken students into their workplaces to provide them with experiential learning opportunities,” Reggie Caverson, executive director of Sudbury and Manitoulin Workforce Planning, said in a statement in the program booklet for the awards.

“All of the employers here today have demonstrated their commitment to preparing our youth for the workplace by going above and beyond the schools' expectations.”
Cambrian College nominated Stantec for one of the awards.

“Stantec (formerly McIntosh) has been and continues to be a strong supporter of education in our community,” the statement said.

“Over the years, Stantec has been very involved in finding work placement opportunities for students and graduates in the civil and mining programs, and has hired many graduates from Cambrian in these as well as other trades programs at Cambrian.”

Collège Boréal nominated Bestech for the award.

“Bestech continues to show their commitment by providing Collège Boréal students with the opportunity to learn and develop their skills in industrial automation through work placements, site visits and even teaching,” the statement said.

The Rainbow District School Board nominated Kevin Muncaster, the owner of Trailside Sports in Espanola, for one of the awards.

“Kevin has been an outstanding sponsor of the co-op program in Espanola for many years, and has provided countless numbers of students the opportunity to experience the small engine mechanic apprenticeship trade as a career possibility,” the statement said.

“Kevin provides a great opportunity to learn, and all his staff encourage a strong sense of self-worth.”

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board nominated Wes Govier of Regional Spring for his participation in the truck and coach specialist high skills major program at St. Charles College.

A number of the high school's students “have gone on to become full-fledged apprentices and have secured part-time employment with this employer,” the statement said.

“Other students have continued in a relevant college program at Cambrian. The immediate supervisor, Wes Goiver and the partner/owner of the company, Denis McKee, have been so accommodating and considerate to our students.”

Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l'Ontario nominated early childhood educator Marielle Pellerin at Centre éducatif Étoile du Nord for the award.

“For several years, Marielle and her devoted statff have assisted in the training of eager co-op students striving to become early childhood educators,” the statement said.

“In fact, several students who have undergone their experiential learning with this wonderful mentor have indeed entered the field.”

Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario nominated Luc Leroux with Belanger Ford Lincoln Centre for the award.

“Mr. Luc Leroux has been working with Belanger Ford as an automotive maintenance technician for 32 years,” the statement said.

“He has welcomed on a yearly basis our students from the co-op education program, from the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP), from the specialist high skills major and from the job twinning program.”