The Limestone District School Board, in collaboration with Specialist High Skills Major and Lennox & Addington Economic Development, are pleased to announce the Bridges to Local Employment Event, happening at Napanee District Secondary School on Thursday, May 26th from 10am – 12:30pm.

Grade 7-10 students from Lennox & Addington area schools and local industry representatives in the Transportation, Trades, Manufacturing and Heavy Equipment industry will be participating in the event. Staff from Limestone District School Board and Lennox Addington Economic Development will also be in attendance.

Students will learn about the Specialist High Skills Major program offered to senior secondary students. Local industry representatives will discuss opportunities within their business and discover how students can build their pathway to these important and rewarding careers. It is an excellent opportunity for students that have interest in a career in the to interact and learn first-hand about what is available from local businesses in these sectors.

Participating students will also hear from Lennox & Addington Economic Development staff about their Kidpreneur initiative, learn about entrepreneurship and potentially envision their own new Transportation, Manufacturing, Heavy Equipment or other business venture.

Lennox & Addington businesses that wish to learn more or participate in this event, please contact Craig Sindall at sindallc@limestone.on.ca or call 613-354-3381.

What is a Specialist High Skills Major?

The Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) is a specialized program that allows students to gain credits and work -related experiences that count towards their Ontario Secondary School Diploma while focusing their learning on a specific economic sector. The SHSM is a Ministry of Education approved program. Students are eligible in Grades 11-12 for the SHSM and should consider the options in Grade 10. Find out more.

How will employers benefit?

Employers are an important partner in this project as they bring a local identity to their economic sector and with that a personal account of the skills and knowledge employees require to be successful in their industry, as well as the lasting benefits of the goods and services they provide daily to their community.

• As a Sector representative, employers will have the opportunity to engage educators on a local level, to establish relationships that foster awareness and understanding of their industry and to ensure pathways from school to the workplace are both relevant and meaningful for students and future employees.
• As a Sector representative, employers will be able to make available to schools the most current and trending industry practices directly from the shop floor to the classroom, sharing technology or best practice through demonstration or providing an industry sponsored experiential learning opportunity or event.
• As a Sector representative, employers can make available to interested students specific cooperative education work placements that could potentially lead to employment and or apprenticeship.
• As a Sector representative, employers will be able to bridge a gap between what employers in their sector require from employees and what educators can provide to their students. In doing so employers will be able to continue to effectively contribute in the shaping of their industry, their employee groups and the community in which they live and do business in.
• As a Sector representative, employer visible to schools in the community will be able to continue to “Build Your Brand” by ensuring the next generation of employee recognizes your sector and that your company is socially invested in the community and is a place that young people will want to be employed by.
• As a Sector representative employers will be able to build out their brand and their mission statements as a socially responsive digitally aware company that shares videos of engaged employees mentoring, giving real-life examples of the work and the work culture needed for future recruitment.
• As a Sector representative, employers will be able to offer / incent current staff to participate in the program as a mentor or in some cases specialized training that will benefit the company now, but also demonstrates a similar future investment in training to team members and supervisory staff.

If you represent a Lennox & Addington business and wish to learn more or participate in this event, please contact Craig Sindall at sindallc@limestone.on.ca or call 613-354-3381.

How do students benefit?

• Participating students will be able to customize their senior high school education to suit their interests and talents.
• Participating students that develop specialized knowledge and skills in an area of their own interest are more likely to graduate and to achieve a greater level of future success.
• Participating students will still earn the necessary credits required to graduate to post-secondary but additionally they will earn sector recognized certifications and career-relevant training and experiential learning.
• Participating students will engage in STEM-related activities that develop innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, that will identify, explore and refine career goals supporting informed decisions about their future.
• Participating students will be specifically prepared to transition after graduation to apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace, while remaining flexible should their goals and plans change.

If you are a Grade 7-10 teacher at a Lennox & Addington School and wish to learn more or participate in this event, please contact Craig Sindall at sindallc@limestone.on.ca or call 613-354-3381.