South Peace Historical Society

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    • About Dorthea Horton
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  • Table of Contents

    • Part 1: First Nations of the Peace River Region
    • Part 2: The Fur Trade Era
    • Part 3: Transportation and Communication
    • Part 4: Old Timers and the Price of Land
    • Part 5: Dawson Creek: The Story of the Community
    • Part 6: Mysteries, Adventures and Indian Legends
    • Part 7: Arts, Crafts and Recreation
    • Part 8: Agriculture
    • Part 9: Church Histories
    • Part 10: Schools
    • Part 11: Health Care
    • Part 12: Industries and Enterprises
    • Part 13: Policing the Peace
    • Part 14: Pouce Coupe, Rolla, and Other South Peace Communities
    • Part 15: Chetwynd and the Fort St. John Area
    • Part 16: The Alberta Peace
    • Part 17: Natural History of the Peace River Region
    • Part 18: Interviews with Old Timers
    • Part 19: Remembering Our Veterans

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BN10-22: Co-op Ed Helps Students at South Peace

Recent History – 2000

March 3, 2000

By Amanda Myatt, South Peace Secondary School Reporter

Student looking for part-time work in the winter months often find it hard because many local businesses slow down.

And while many students have after-school jobs at restaurants, gas stations, clothing stores, and supermarkets, others want to work in career fields that do not have entry-level positions for them.

So how can South Peace Secondary help these students?

A unique way to find employment and explore a career while still going to school is the cooperative education program. The course has been helping students gain real work experience and career preparation for the past nine years.

“It’s cool,”says Justin Pylatuk, 16, who has a placement at Software Emporium. “It’s fun to learn this way.”

“I just love computers,” he says, adding he would like to pursue a career with computers after graduating. So far he has set up a new laptop computer and installed software during on-the-job training.

This week, 26 students in Grades 11 and 12 start work experience in the community in areas like veterinary services, teaching, forestry, health care, and aircraft mechanics.

They spent the past month developing employment skills and job seeking strategies to prepare for the actual work experience. You need 200 hours of work experience, and other course work, to get eight credits — which is double that of a normal course.

The course also gives special needs students a way to get into the workforce, with support from special education teachers and aides.

While the experience is unpaid, some students who have demonstrated a positive attitude and good work habits are asked to stay on at the job during the summer or after graduation.

Teacher and coordinator Brian Shaw says the course teaches students the importance of being reliable, teaches good work habits, and gives them important experience to put on their resumes, which can be used for the rest of their lives. They also have to learn goal-setting and career-pathing.

He says most employers in Dawson Creek are very supportive of the program, and he does not have many problems finding jobs.

Employers interview students before the placement, and have the right to terminate the work experience during.

“The very few students who exhibit a bad attitude tend to discourage some employers from taking more students,” Shaw says. “However, those employers need to realize that all students are not the same. Most want to work hard and do well.”

This article is taken from the Peace River Block Daily News, Dawson Creek, with the permission of the publisher. The Daily News retains all rights relating to this material. The information in this article is intended solely for research or general interest purposes.

« BN10-21: School District to Re-Examine Kindergarten Policy

BN10-23: Northern Lights College History Captured in Print »

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