This past summer, high school students in Peterborough and the Kawarthas took their career plans to new heights by getting valuable hands-on workplace experience in the construction and aviation industries through the Build & Soar Program.
The program was delivered by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) in partnership with the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, the Workforce Development Board, and the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Home Builders Association. The $435,210 program was funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario through the Skills Development Fund.
“We are continuing to engage youth in the diverse career opportunities of the skilled trades, driving real change for young people to find fulfilling and rewarding careers,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “That’s why our government is proud to support the Build & Soar Program, offered by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development. This initiative demonstrates our dedication to ensuring that our youth have the chance to succeed close to home.”
Build & Soar matched students enrolled in the provincially approved Construction and Aerospace & Aviation Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programs with local businesses in the two high-demand sectors.
“We wanted to get the students interested in careers in both of these sectors and showcase what types of jobs are available within our region,” says Eleni Gagovski, Economic Development Officer at PKED. “We want to keep students in the workforce locally. We don’t want students to feel they have to move away from the region in search of employment opportunities that we do have here.”
The Build & Soar Program was developed in response to feedback from the business community through PKED’s annual Business Count Survey, and after hearing from the local school boards on the need to build upon the SHSM programs to create opportunities and experiential learning through local employers.
The hiring demand measured by online posting activities has demonstrated a need for construction trades and aviation and aerospace-related positions in the region. With the City of Peterborough’s pledge to supply more housing, and the estimate from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that the aviation industry would globally require 480,000 new technicians by 2026, the need for local skilled workers in both sectors is only expected to grow even more.
“PKED is responsive to the specific needs of the businesses in the community,” says Gagovski. “We’re hearing from businesses that they’re short on labour and we’re able to create workforce programs and projects based on what we’re hearing from them. Not only does it help our local businesses, but it showcases why businesses should move to the region.”
Build & Soar matched 42 students in Grades 11 and 12 at schools in the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board and the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board with eight-week paid work placements.
Students participating in the construction sector were exposed to career opportunities, including labour positions, technical and electric trades, carpentry, homebuilding, renovations, hardware supply, plumbing and HVAC, interior design, landscaping, and even stone quarry operation.
For students participating in the aerospace and aviation sector, job opportunities ranged from airport administration, aircraft component manufacturing, electronics, aviation development, aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, and piloting.
“The program helped students take what they’ve learned in school and put it into a real-life situation on a job so they can see the finished product at the end, whether they were building a home or helping to build an airplane,” says Gagovski. “It’s nice for them to actually be able to see the progression of their work.”
Not only were the students able to see the wide range of opportunities available for them when they enter the workforce, but they learned which ones were of most interest to them.
“We had a lot of students specifically interested in engineering and CNC operators in a wide variety of components,” Gagovski says. “They weren’t sure exactly what they wanted to do, but going from a classroom to a position at an actual employer helped them narrow it down.”
Students were exposed to different positions within the companies at which they were placed. Paired with a trainer or supervisor, students gained valuable insight into the expectations of the positions and learned about their “career ladders” — the future opportunities that such positions can lead to.
As part of the Build & Soar program, PKED collaborated with the Workforce Development Board (WDB) to research, develop, and design two new career ladders — one for aviation and one for construction – infrastructure planning — as part of WDB’s growing career ladder series. Program participants, as well as all students and job seekers, can use the interactive career to learn more about career growth opportunities and career paths in both aviation and construction.
As for the 35 employers who hired the SHSM students participating in Build & Soar this past summer, they received a 50 per cent wage subsidy upon completion of the program, and they have reported the wage has been put to good use.
“The employers are finding that the SHSM programs are setting the students up for success,” says Gagovski, noting that many employers kept the students onboard beyond the summer.
For the students, they gained valuable experience while still getting paid — something that is not always possible with high school placements.
“It’s a different summer job that really isn’t traditionally available for a high school student,” Gagovski says. “It benefited both the students and the employers.”
This fall, the final component of the program will commence with flight simulator training for 15 students who are interested in careers as a pilot or looking to advance in aviation. The students will have access to two flight simulators that will include 30 hours of flight training modules. The flight simulators will be located within two of the high schools, with the SHSM teacher leading the students’ learning.
“This will help them both in their aviation experience and with airlines in Canada, because these flight simulators are set up to frame the aviation pathway,” says Gagovski. “It could lead to many jobs, from a pilot to an air traffic controller to anything to do with the plane itself.”
As with the construction program, the hope is that by instilling knowledge and passion for aviation, students will be inspired and begin a career journey in a thriving and continually growing sector without feeling the need to leave Peterborough and the Kawarthas.
“There is quite a bit of growth happening at the airport with some of the businesses expanding or looking to expand, which increases the need for trained employees in the aviation sector,” Gagovski points out. “We are introducing this program at a great time, when the students have already received that exposure to the airport or at an aviation business.”
The Build & Soar program builds on previous workforce development programs developed by PKED in response to the needs of local businesses, including the Pathways to Prosperity program that matched job seekers with high-demand jobs through a four-week training course and a five-week paid work placement.
With PKED dissolving at the end of the year and the City of Peterborough and County of Peterborough taking over responsibility for economic development, Gagovski is hopeful that programs like Build & Soar will continue to be available to support existing businesses in the region.
Explore training and employment opportunities at the Peterborough Airport at peterborough.ca/en/doing-business/airport-services.aspx.
This Employment Ontario project is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.
This branded editorial is one of a series created in partnership with Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
