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YAP students
learn safety is
everyone's
business
Mac Olsen
for South Peace News
A group of Grade 9
students put their safety
knowledge to the test at
the Northern Lakes College
campus in Grouard
June 11, participating in
a job safety competition.
The 19 students, who
are in the Youth Apprenticeship
Program at
Prairie River Junior
High, took Job Safety
Skills Society courses to
prepare for the competition.
“It’s to demonstrate
what they’ve learned,”
says YAP coordinator/
teacher Noela
Vandermeulen.
Two students, Chris
Boulanger and Justin
Matthews, shared their
thoughts about the competition.
“I found it interesting,”
says Boulanger, although
he has to learn
more about safety hazards
because he missed
some.
Matthews enjoyed the
experience, giving him
more insights into safety
issues.
“It was fun, a really
good experience,” he
says. “You learn about
safety and get more of
an idea of what to look
for.”
The trades beckon
them, as Boulanger
wants to go into mechanical
engineering
and Matthews is leaning
toward being an ironworker.
Their class went
to the World Skills Competition
in Calgary in
September 2009 and the
ironworker career appealed
to Matthews.
During the competition,
the students had to
identify hazards in the
NLC’s carpentry shop
and the wash bay in the
main warehouse, as well
as fire risks in a private
home nearby. They also
had to give a 10-minute
health and safety
speech, which included
creating a poster with
details about their
speech.
College instructor
Ken Melnyk and Morine
Metzler, the Dean of
Business, Industry and
Service Careers, evaluated
the presentations
for content, preparedness,
students’ posture,
eye contact and enthusiasm,
as well as the posters.
The last part of the
competition was a
20-minute theory exam.
The winners are:
1. Cheyanne Hall,
Brogan Severson and
Jessica Stalenhoef.
2. Kevin Cramer, Nick
Dube and Arianna
Quinn.
3. Chris Boulanger
and Justin Matthews.
Before the competition
started, Al Churchill,
the senior coordinator
for the college’s
trades program in Slave
Lake, asked the students
if they have chosen
trades and some
raised their hands. He
encouraged them to
start their apprenticeships
as soon as they get
out of school.
“We want them to be
aware of the opportunities
across the board in
the trades,” he says.
Churchill adds there
are 52 recognized trades
in Alberta, including the
new Drilling Rig Technician
Trade program,
which will have stable
employment prospects.
Many more employment
opportunities will open
in the trades in the next
10 years due to retirements
and mega
projects, he adds.
“They’re actually retiring
faster than we can
train new people.”
The 2009-10 school
year will be the last for
the Youth Apprenticeship
Program.
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Left-right are Daniel Richardson, Jake Off and Shane Bjornson. They looked
for safety hazards in the carpentry shop. |
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Left-right are Nick Dube, Arianna Quinn and Kevin Cramer, who took second
place in the competition. |
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Left-right are Jessica Stalenhoef, Cheyanne Hall and Brogan Severson. They made their presentation
about the transportation of dangerous goods and took first place in the competition. |
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