With educators realizing office jobs aren’t for all students when they graduate from high school and postsecondary institutions, the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board (H-SCDSB) and Algoma District School Board (ADSB), on Oct. 23, arranged a Tenaris/Algoma Open Door Tour for 100 pupils, exposing them to career opportunities in skilled trades and manufacturing.
“If the idea of a desk job leaves you feeling boxed in, let me quote Mike Holmes and say ‘Think outside the cubicle',” said H-SCDSB Superintendent Danny Viotto as he introduced educators and four Huron-Superior Grade 8 students at Wednesday’s Huron-Superior board meeting.
The October tour of Tenaris and Algoma Steel was specifically designed for female students in Grades 8 to 10, 40 from the H-SCDSB system and 60 from the ADSB, to highlight the present and future need for more skilled trades workers in the labour force and to encourage more female students to consider skilled trades and manufacturing as career paths.
“The students witnessed the action at Tenaris and Algoma behind the scenes and they spoke to the women who are already in the mills, women in apprenticeships and the boardroom,” said Rosanna Bernabucci, H-SCDSB Pathways lead teacher, addressing Huron-Superior board trustees and administrators.
Bernabucci was accompanied by Paula Trainor, H-SCDSB STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) lead teacher.
“My favourite part of the day at Algoma was when we got to see the steel come through and get rolled into coils. For me it changed my career path. At first I wanted to be an architect but now I want to do more hands on work,” said Zoey Swanson, St. Francis French Immersion Grade 8 student.
“It was really cool to see how there are women who are actually in these industries and how it was a lot more safe and clean than what I had heard about,” Swanson said.
“At Algoma the women are on the floor of the mills and they’re improving the system. We have some chemists and engineers that are improving our product, so never count out the industries because they offer a lot of opportunities. Never count them out. It’s good experience for you,” said John Caputo, H-SCDSB trustee and longtime Algoma employee, encouraging the students in attendance at Wednesday’s meeting.