The Avon Maitland and Huron Perth Catholic District School Boards hosted an event in Stratford Thursday to encourage students to consider a career in the skills trade -- and in particular for young women to consider trades.
The guest speaker at the event was Sherry Holmes, daughter of home renovator and TV personality Mike Holmes.
She says it's difficult for high school students to figure out where they fit, in what has become a very specialized job market, and her advice to students is to expose themselves to every possible career path they can.
Holmes pointed out, "your work is most of your life, do something you love, give yourself that opportunity, otherwise your selling yourself short. Just get out there and get your hands dirty, learn something new, try everything because even things you didn't think you'd have an interest in, you could be great at them."
The Pathway Coordinator for the Avon Maitland Board, Mark Roth, explains a significant number of students don't choose college or university after high school, so other choices are going straight to work or taking an apprentice course.
Mark Roth, Avon Maitland Pathways Coordinator (Photo by Bob Montgomery)
This event was about the apprentice pathway and encouraging the 150 high school students there to consider using their hands as well as their minds.