Now that the South East Regional Industry Education Council (SERIEC) is an official entity, they can pursue federal and provincial funding from outside the mainstream sources for secondary school programs.
That was just one piece of information provided by South East Cornerstone Public School Division’s curriculum co-ordinator Aaron Hiske and, career consultant Dan Hardern when they visited with the school division’s board members on May 19 during their regular business session.
SERIEC has their own board of directors who are assisting Cornerstone’s administration in the pursuit of industrial career training that includes some on the job experiences, as well as traditional classroom exposure.
The training is being designed to respond to labour market needs through this non-profit corporation, said Hardern. It will be the fourth council recognized in the province with two others located in Regina and Saskatoon and one more in the northern region.
The other avenues that may be pursued for financial assistance will include the provincial Ministry of the Economy as well as the Education Ministry and on the federal front, they could find assistance through the Western Diversification Fund, as one example.
The SERIEC board has developed their operating policies and terms of reference and they now have several partners including Southeast College, the cities of Estevan and Weyburn and three First Nations councils along with SaskTel, and potentially, other Crown corporations and private businesses.
Membership is on two levels, Hiske explained. One is board membership status while the other is an associate membership. No fees are applied for membership.
“It’s a great way to connect students with their employers of tomorrow,” said Hiske.
Students become aware of the opportunities being offered by industry and have the chance to experience life on the job, as well as theoretical lessons in the classrooms.
These experiences can begin as early as their Grade 9 year, the two men said.
Hardern said career fairs are growing in importance for both industry and the students, especially those events where the try a trade experience is offered right at the exhibit booth. He said industry representatives are encouraged now to bring items to the fairs that will give students a hands-on opportunity to try their skills on such things as welding, wire splicing, and so on. It not only let’s them try out a real job skill, but also opens the door for further dialogue among job recruiters, post-secondary consultants and students. There will be three career fairs on the schedule next year, with one of them slated for Estevan.
Right now there are just 12 seats or spots available in the program, said Hiske, but they already have 32 student applicants. He added that some industry partners like SaskTel, have recently posted job openings with the stipulation that only candidates who have participated in the jobs program, need apply, thus pointing out the importance of the program for those students who already know what trades and professions they want to pursue after high school.
The men fielded several questions from the board members and were thanked by board chairwoman Audrey Trombley for bringing the updated information to the board table.
