DAWSON CREEK – Industry and education partners in the South Peace, and the Dawson Creek Chamber of Commerce, are working together to support safety training for local high school students.
More than 80 Dawson Creek Secondary School (DCSS) students will benefit from the partnership, as they will have the opportunity to complete Occupational First Aid Level 1 and H2S Alive training offered through the Workforce Training/Continuing Education department at Northern Lights College.
The idea for the project emerged from a presentation by the Chamber of Commerce to the School District 59 Board of Trustees, and included several planning sessions with the partner organizations. Local industry is helping cover the costs of the training.
“This is a win-win opportunity for students, and local business and industry. As summer jobs open up, employers will have a pool of students to draw from who have the basic safety training in place,” said Kathleen Connolly, executive director of the Dawson Creek Chamber of Commerce.
The training is open to all interested grade 10 students as well as all students enrolled in Work Experience. Students must be a minimum of 16 years old to take part, and have up-to-date resumes. They will be scheduled in groups for two-day training sessions to cover both courses. Courses start May 5, so that students can complete the courses in time to secure summer employment.
“This training sets Dawson Creek students up for employment in the area over the summer,” said Paul Chisholm, principal at DCSS. “These two courses are the foundation in safety training required by local industry. We anticipate this will lead to more students gaining local employment as well as increased numbers of students in Work Experience, secondary school Apprenticeships and trades-related programs.”
The courses will be offered at NLC’s Dawson Creek Campus.
“NLC’s Workforce Training department is pleased to be involved in offering this training opportunity. We are committed to helping ensure that the local workforce is properly trained to meet the requirements of our industry partners, and this a great chance for DCSS students to ensure they have the necessary safety training completed so they are ready to step onto a job site with a local employer,” said Doug Campbell, Dean of Continuing Education at NLC.
Once all sessions are completed, a celebration will be held involving parents, students and the project partners. The event will feature the students receiving their certificates, and students and employers will have the opportunity to meet and talk about the future and potential jobs.