General Meeting Minutes
July 18, 2007 12 noon
Parksville Community Centre
In Attendance: Michelle Jones, Chair Caroline Grover
Karen Barry Rob McGorman
Egon Kuhn Susanne Hale
Jeff Hale Manley LaFoy
Marjorie Picard Shirley Wright
Duane Round Bill Katerenchuk
Helen Sims Rob Hoffman
Guests: Councillor Mike Wansink, Town of Qualicum Beach
Councillor Marc Lefebvre, City of Parksville
Cory Heinz, 2007 Scholarship Recipient
Don May, grandfather of Scholarship Recipient
Guest Speakers: Olaf Neilsen & April Atkins, Comosun College, Victoria
Marilyn Hayden, Recording Secretary
Michelle Jones called the meeting to order at 12:10 pm. and introduced Olaf Neilsen and April Atkins
Guest Presentation
April Atkins – Enrolment team leader in technology
· 2 year technology programs and 3 year technology programs offered.
· Technology graduates and co-op students work in many fields:
o Ministry of Finance
o Ministry of Forests
o Civil Engineering
o Private Corporations
o Dept. of National Defence
o Oceanic positions
· 1 week workshop program this summer includes:
o Technology
o AutoCAD
o Civil Robots
o Mechanical rocket launcher
o Web design
o Competition at the end of the program
· Bridging Program is a 6 month program gives entrance for a 3 year university program.
Olaf Neilsen – Trades Training Co-ordinator
· With the lack of skilled workers employers can contribute to college programs by participating on advisory committees and providing opportunities for co-op students.
· Local engineering company has 2 Camosun Co-op students employed at the present time.
· College level technology is about applied learning.
· Sitting on the steering committee of Vancouver Island Economic Alliance which is working with local construction companies and focussing on the trades to address the lack of skilled workers on the island.
· Industry Skilled Association (ISA) is a partnership between the Vancouver Island Construction Association representing more than 300 industrial, commercial and institutional construction employers, the Canadian Home Builders Association representing 150 residential construction employers and Camosun College. The mandate of the ISA is to promote the skilled trades as a viable and preferred career opportunity, encourage work experience in the skilled trades and to create a seamless transition between education and industry. ISA has created an innovative relationship tool that would allow industry, educators and students to connect at critical levels as they interact with on another to address entry and access to workers and jobs in the skilled trades industry. Connect2trades.ca is recruitment/placement and tracking tool. It contains modules for job postings, applications, company and applicant information, interview requests, find a speaker and advanced reporting/searching.
Questions:
· Are there grants available for students and incentives for employers? - Yes there are grants and incentives, but the key factor for employers is participation, advocacy and involvement.
· Do you have statistics on where students have found jobs and where they have located following graduation? Stats are not available at this time. Working on changing the shift from university degrees to technology diplomas and also encouraging females to enter technology and trade programs.
· Do you offer a co-op program for the trades? Yes, but it is not the typical co-op program because it offers part time apprenticeship while still in school.
· Is there an aptitude test in high school for the trades? No, not at the present time. There is a test for basic literacy and aptitude tests based on interests.
Michelle thanked Olaf and April for taking the time to come from Victoria and address the meeting.
Presentation of 2007 Scholarship
Egon Kuhn acknowledged the achievements of the recipient and presented the $500 2007 scholarship to Cory Heinz, graduated student of Kwalicum Secondary School proceeding to Malaspina College to study Welding and AutoCad in the fall.