High school students registered as OYAP automotive apprentices
MOUNT FOREST – Two Grade 12 students at Wellington Heights Secondary School have been recently registered as automotive apprentices as part of the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP).
Both students excelled in their four-credit cooperative education placements at WHSS in semester one, school officials say, earning top marks in their high school cooperative education courses and earning the respect of their community employers who agreed to take the students on for apprenticeships.
Hannah Walton worked for her placement at Dave’s Auto Body in Mount Forest, and she was registered as an OYAP apprentice in the Auto Body and collision damage repairer trade.
Austin Brown worked for his placement at Distinct Auto Care Incorporated in Mount Forest, and he was registered as an OYAP apprentice in the automotive service technician trade.
The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program is a school-to-work program that opens the door for students to explore and work in apprenticeship occupations through the cooperative education program.
Students have an opportunity to become registered apprentices and work towards becoming certified journey-persons in a skilled trade while completing their secondary school diplomas.
OYAP also enables students to make the school-to-work transition by direct entry into apprenticeship training, and it provides employers with the opportunity to train the skilled workers they require.
Another goal is to provide a viable solution to address the problem of skilled tradespeople shortages across the province.
To recognize this accomplishment, cooperative education teachers Peggy Topham and Matt McFarlane congratulated both of their students and presented Walton and Brown with some brand-new tools to use in their apprenticeship programs.
