French school board focuses on trades with new program

The Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l’Ontario (CSPGNO) unveiled a new trade-focused program – École des métiers — at École secondaire Hanmer this week. Starting this September, the school will offer an innovative school program focused on trades and reflecting the needs of the labour market, a press release stated. 

During the announcement, representatives of CSPGNO and Collège Boréal signed an agreement to collaborate on the new program.

École des métiers will offer three specialized programs. At the Grade 9 level, students will be introduced to the school’s three specialty programs — carpentry, auto mechanics and welding — while following a regular secondary school curriculum. 

The school will also enable students to participate in youth apprenticeships and to enroll in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP). Students will be able to acquire practical experience in a specialized trade and accumulate work hours while obtaining credits towards their secondary school diploma.

École des métiers will also integrate two Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM) in hospitality and ecotourism, as well as in justice and emergency services, which is already offered at École secondaire Hanmer. CSPGNO, which is constantly looking to accommodate students’ needs, will offer transportation services to students enrolled in the program, the release stated.

“Thanks to this leading-edge program, students will benefit from an advanced learning path adapted to their needs, skills and interests,” Pierre Riopel, CSPGNO director of education, said. “École des métiers will accommodate employers’ needs in order to guarantee good jobs for our graduates. This is what we, at CSPGNO mean when we say our schools provide a learning setting promoting personal development and openness to the world.”

CSPGNO plans on adding new career specializations to the school in the future. They will be developed in co-operation with the education sector and the labour market.

For more information regarding École des métiers, visit monmetier.ca.

- Posted by Jenny Jelen