YES-2-IT Popular in Fort Nelson and Fort St. John
Students from School District 60 experienced the Automotive Service Technician and Esthetics and Nail Care Technology programs during the YES-2-IT event held at NLC’s Fort St. John Campus.
FORT ST. JOHN – More than 350 grades 8-10 students in School Districts 60 and 81 gained hands-on experience in Dual Credit programming available at Northern Lights College through YES-2-IT events held recently in Fort St. John and Fort Nelson.
YES-2-IT (Youth Exploring Skills to Industry Training) is a joint initiative of the Industry Training Authority (ITA) and the Ministry of Education. At NLC, YES-2-IT events provide students with the opportunity to learn about Dual Credit programs available on campus or through distributed delivery.
“YES-2-IT events provide the opportunity for students to experience potential education and job opportunities in a hands-on environment. The students get the chance to see the options available to them in their own backyard, and to begin envisioning what their career paths might look like,” said NLC’s recruitment manager Kristina Van De Walle.
A unique aspect of YES-2-IT is its focus on hands-on involvement, as students are encouraged to try out aspects of their selected programs through activities that are developed and overseen by participating program instructors.
Hands-on participation has increased in the past two years, thanks to contributions from EnCana and the ITA.
Last year, steel-toed, slip-on safety shoes were purchased by EnCana to allow students greater access to trades’ shops. This year, sponsorship from EnCana and the ITA allowed the purchase of hard hats, gloves and welding smocks, thereby allowing even more hands-on involvement. The event also received sponsorship from Northern Opportunities.
“EnCana was pleased to team up with Northern Lights College to help fund region-wide YES-2-IT events,” said Fiona Liebelt, EnCana’s community relations analyst for Fort Nelson and Peace Country. “EnCana has operations in the area but, more importantly, has staff whose families live and work in the area. Strengthening the communities we work in is of great importance to our corporation. We believe in safety as a fundamental of our daily work. To sponsor some of the safety equipment for this event was an easy decision as it aligns with our company principles.“
SD 59 students learn about Dual Credit at NLC
Aircraft Maintenance Engineering and Welding were two of NLC’s Dual Credit programs available to School District 59 students during the Feb. 18 YES-2-IT event at the Dawson Creek Campus.
DAWSON CREEK – Approximately 160 grades 9-10 students from throughout School District 59 had the opportunity to sample Dual Credit programming available at Northern Lights College.
The students visited NLC’s Dawson Creek and South Peace campuses on Feb. 18 for the annual YES-2-IT (Youth Exploring Skills to Industry Training) event.
The event allows the students to learn about Dual Credit programs available in Dawson Creek or through distributed delivery.
“YES-2-IT is a chance for students to take information home so that parents know more about what Dual Credit is,” said Lorelee Friesen, recruiter for the Dawson Creek Campus, and organizer of the event. “They learn which programs are available for Dual Credit, and they get important information on the prerequisite courses needed in secondary school to qualify.”
A unique aspect of YES-2-IT is its focus on hands-on involvement, as students are encouraged to try out aspects of their selected programs through activities that are developed and overseen by the program instructors specifically for this event.
For example, students built birdhouses in Carpentry/Residential Construction, tried different types of welding, completed a drawing in Visual and Graphic Communication Arts, tried hair dying in Hairstylist/Cosmetology, took apart a computer in Northern Collaborative Information Technology, or sat in a helicopter cockpit in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering.
Hands-on participation has increased in the past two years, thanks to contributions from EnCana and the Industry Training Authority (ITA).
Last year, steel-toed, slip-on safety shoes were purchased by EnCana to allow students greater access to trades’ shops. This year, sponsorship from EnCana and the ITA allowed the purchase of hard hats, gloves and welding smocks, thereby allowing even more hands-on involvement. Each student also got an event t-shirt, thanks to sponsorship from Northern Opportunities.
“Students would not be able to participate in an interactive way without the generosity of our sponsors. We would only be able to offer tours,” said recruiting manager Kristina Van De Walle. “Safety equipment is key to the success of the event but incredibly expensive when you look at the cost of purchasing it for so many students. Thanks to EnCana and the Industry Training Authority this interactivity is a reality.”
The safety equipment will be used at other YES-2-IT events this year in Fort Nelson on March 4 and Fort St. John on March 11, as well as in future years.
Dual Credit programming allows secondary school students to enrol in certain College programs, and earn credits at both levels, while still in secondary school.
Other Dual Credit programs that were featured included: Automotive Service Technician, Heavy Duty/Commercial Transport Technician, Applied Business Technology, Social Services Worker Diploma, Esthetics and Nail Care Technology, Early Childhood Education, Plumbing, Millwright, and Home Support/Resident Care Attendant.
For more information on Dual Credit programs, secondary school students should contact their school counselor. For information on NLC programming, contact the College at 1-866-463-6652 or 250-782-5251.
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