Learning by doing is often the best way to acquire new skills. If you had visited St. Peter High School on May 3, 2023, you would have witnessed students engaging in construction-related activities such as installing shingles, cutting pipes, laying floor tiles, and hooking up electrical wiring. Even though they weren’t building an actual house, their hands-on experience gave them a glimpse of what it’s like to work in the construction industry. It exposed them to the wide range of job opportunities available in the sector.
The event was the brainchild of Scott Day, the lead teacher of St. Peter High School’s Construction Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program. To encourage enrolment in the Construction SHSM, he wanted to expose students to the skilled trades by giving them hands-on activities to try. Mr. Day and his team recruited representatives from 12 different trade organizations to instruct and supervise activities for the students. These included plumbers, HVAC workers, welders, electrical technicians, carpenters, framers, roofers, and iron workers. Many came from organizations that are already co-op partners with the high school.
Over 500 grade 9 and 10 students participated in the day. Students had a chance to use specialized power tools, assemble framing, try out a virtual welding station, attach girders to a steel I-beam, and solder copper piping. Four shifts of students even worked throughout the day to build a garden bench from scratch!
It wasn’t all hands-on learning. The students also had activity worksheets to complete, which required them to speak to many trades representatives and learn more about their jobs and the industry they represent.
In grades 7 and 8, students were invited to walk through the event and observe the activities. The government is introducing a mandatory technological education credit in 2024, so this was a chance for the younger students to see some real-world opportunities stemming from those tech courses.