CORNWALL, Ontario – Various job sectors were represented at the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) Career Fair at Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School on Tuesday, April 2, where students had the opportunity to consider future pathways.
“There’s an overwhelming amount of career choices for kids now, which can be very daunting,” said Liz McCormick, CDSBEO Experiential Learning Consultant. “So, it’s just an opportunity for them to be meeting with people in different career areas to develop a little bit more confidence in terms of making decisions about their futures.”
High school students of Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School, St. Joseph’s Catholic Secondary School, St. Matthew Catholic Secondary School, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School and St. Francis Xavier Catholic High School attended the all-day event. Dan Lortie, CDSBEO Apprenticeship Coordinator, said that feedback about the event had been very good and that this marked the first time in a number of years the CDSBEO hosted a Career Fair.
“What we are trying to do is get students into an environment where they can do some active learning…” said Lortie. “There’s a big push for out of class learning…so this is an opportunity to get those community partners who offer those kinds of things…and hopefully make a (connection) between the students and those people, so they can try more things in the future.”
Lortie said many students aren’t necessarily aware of the different businesses recruiting in the community. He said that among many representatives, employees of Walmart, St. Lawrence College, Algonquin College, Elegance College, different branches of the military, various police forces and the St. Lawrence River Institute were present during the event. Lortie and McCormick noted that students found VR learning experiences very entertaining and educational during the event.
A presentation in the morning by Emily Chung, a licensed technician who owns her own garage in Ottawa, and Bailey Morrisette, a local licensed electrician, encouraged young women to pursue careers in male dominated fields, such as different trades.
Any businesses looking to partner with the CDSBEO to host students for co-op placements of information sessions are encouraged to reach out to staff.
