It’s a high school day off in Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry during this year’s November Professional Development Day. Students are out late the night before and sleeping in with no particular place to go. That is not the situation, however, for Courtney McMillan who had specific plans for the day. She was up at the crack of dawn and on her way to experience what may be her future career.

During an Open House at St. Lawrence College, Courtney wondered what a career in Welding would be like. “We’ve had several girls come through our program and who have been very successful,” explained the trades’ technician, Andre Allaire. “Would you like to spend a day with one of them and see if it’s something you would like to do?” That invitation was all it took for Courtney to reserve her North Dundas District High School P.D. day to come to college on her day off.

To make it safe and to ensure she got the full benefit of the experience, Andre contacted Marc Bissonnette from Praxair to see about safety clothing for the welding debutante. Shortly after her arrival, Courtney was dressed from head to toe with safety glasses, a state-of-the-art welding helmet, overalls, and safety shoes; everything she needed to spend a day in the welding shop. James VanDerFluit, the full-time welding instructor, welcomed Courtney to his shop and immediately matched her up with Erica Chatten.

Erica is a 2nd year student from Foxboro, Ontario. “We had a great day together. We did Arc Welding for a couple of hours and Courtney got better and better as the day progressed. She is a fast learner!” The welding was part of a park bench project Erica was building for the City of Cornwall’s Groupe Renaissance”.

Later, Courtney toured the campus and visited the Fabrication Shop where she watched as first-year students operated lathes. In the next shop, she marveled at the capabilities of the CNC machine. Then they were off to the cafeteria for lunch. Since Erica lives in residence, Courtney also got to see what residence life was all about.

In the afternoon, while Erica attended a theory class, Courtney returned to the Welding shop to finish off her day. “I liked that I was able to use some of the equipment myself,” remarked Courtney. “The atmosphere of the campus made me feel like I was already part of the student body. The instructors I talked to were really nice and they were all very encouraging.”

“We like to invite high school students to pair up with our students,” explained VanDerFluit. “For many, it’s their very first experience in an actual welding, carpentry or automotive shop. Once they have spent a day as a trade student, they have a “feel” for that trade and can make a much better decision about whether or not to pursue that career.” As for Courtney, she came back to spend a second day a few weeks later. “Hopefully, she’ll be back full-time in the Fall.”