Carpentry program dual credit grad Clayton Van De Water oversees Grade 9 student at the YES 2 IT event.

More than 150 Grade 9 students from School District 59 converged on Northern Lights College on Jan. 13 for a YES-2-IT (Youth Exploring Skills to Industry Training) event.

YES-2-IT provides students with the opportunity to spend a half-day in their choice of two program areas available to secondary school students for Dual Credit study. The event was held at NLC’s Dawson Creek and South Peace campuses.

World Pro chuckwagon driver and EnCana employee, Mark Sutherland, kicked off the day with a keynote challenge for the students to chase their aspirations, wherever they may lead. From there, students moved to programs that they pre-selected to have an interactive opportunity to see a trade or vocation in action.

Students who attended the Cook training session were easy to identify in their white chef hats. They could be found in the College cafeteria kitchen helping to prepare lunch menu items such as cabbage rolls, biscuits and muffins.

The highlight of the Residential Construction session was a tour through the Health Sciences Building construction site along with NLC carpentry program students. At the site they saw painters, electricians, welders and carpenters renovating the building. One of the carpenters is a graduate of the NLC Dual Credit program. He demonstrated how to frame a wall and had the Grade 9 students assist with hanging and attaching wallboard to steel studs.

Other featured program areas were: Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, Applied Business Technology, Auto Service Technician, Cosmetology/Hairstylist, Early Childhood Education/Education Assistant, Esthetics, Health Care Assistant, Heavy Duty/Commercial Transport Technician, Plumbing, Practical Nursing, University Arts and Sciences, Visual and Graphic Communication Arts, Welding, and Wind Turbine Technology.

YES-2-IT is designed to give students hands-on experience at what specific careers might be like. The event also shows students they can start the transition to a career in Grade 11 or 12, earning secondary and post-secondary school credits while still in secondary school.

Based on written teacher feedback, the event has met its goals.

“This is finally capturing the imaginations of an interactive generation. Rather than the students sitting through lectures, they are allowed to try things, question things, and see things for themselves. This is one of the most useful tools we have to assist students with career planning,” a teacher wrote.

Event sponsors included: School District 59, Industry Training Authority, EnCana, Northern Opportunities, Dominos Pizza, and Dominion Construction.

The College also will be hosting YES-2-IT events at the Fort St. John Campus in February, and Fort Nelson Campus in May.

For more information on Dual Credit programs, students should contact their secondary school counsellor. For more information on programs available at NLC, call 250-782-5251 or check the website atnlc.bc.ca.