Early Career Planning Advised for Students

Career Education in elementary and secondary schools is a significant priority for Manitoba Education and Winnipeg School Division. It takes a multi-faceted effort and as such, Ryan Hughes, Acting WSD Director, whose area of responsibility includes Career Education, says students and their parents/caregivers are advised to consider an area of interest at their earliest possibility.

“We know it is extremely important to educate our students in terms of career development,” he said. “We have multiple avenues in career education that are explored through a student's time in WSD.

Our guidance counselors do a great job of helping students decide on pathways,” noted Hughes. “It's important when students are making their decisions about course selections in high school. This can be a discussion around university or other post-secondary institutions, but we also work really hard to ensure that students have an understanding of the technical and trades areas that are also excellent career opportunities for students as well.”

Hughes noted WSD has two vocational high schools (Tec Voc and R. B. Russell) with strong connections to career and industry.

Job Placements

WSD has recently put together a team to help support students when they go to job placements as some of the career areas are so diverse it can be difficult for students to decide. According to Hughes early planning is essential and our schools are doing their best to assist their graduating students.

“We have someone that goes out and does safety checks of student work sites,” said Hughes. “That’s a new role for us that has been pretty positive.”

School to Work Transition Program

The School to Work Transition Program allows staff to support students attending different types of unique opportunities such as Skills Canada. 

“There is a multitude of different things that we're offering,” said Hughes. “We have the ACT (Academy of Creative Technology) at Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute that's new in the last two years that continues to grow and has very strong connections to industry. It's an extremely popular program for students to be part of as it’s an area that continues to be of great interest.”

WSD subscribes to a planning program called My BluePrint which gives access to a very career focused planning piece. It connects to pathways past high school which shows the connection between what students are doing with the course selections they take and allows them to build a portfolio. Guidance counsellors are trained in utilizing this program. 

Most of WSD schools also offer some form of Life Works courses Grades 9 through 12 that are career development focused (half credit or full credit). 

Career Interns are on site in all WSD high schools to help support students with resumes and where to find jobs, helping by pointing them in the right direction

Student Employment Teacher

Added in 2022/2023 through Provincial Strengthening Schools support was a Student Employment teacher. This position is connected to career education for schools that don’t have vocational programming to find partnerships in their area to support student growth. 

Post High Experience

Hughes noted an area that continues to be of great interest is the post high experience offered through the Aerospace Manufacturing and Maintenance Orientation Program at Tec Voc.

Funded by Manitoba Aerospace and Winnipeg School Division, the Aerospace Manufacturing and Maintenance Orientation (AMMOP) Program at Tec Voc High School allows students to learn skills for a career in the aerospace industry. 

As a creative person himself AMMOP student Codey Scarrett says he enjoys the composite fabricating side of aerospace through the program and hopes to get a job with either Boeing in the future working on the 787 Dreamliner or F35 aircraft with Magellan Aerospace Winnipeg. He said both the AMMOP program’s teachers, Mr. Drew Tapley and Mr. Richard Catellier, have over 20 years experience in the industry and have been very helpful, as has Sylva Martin, the AMMOP co-ordinator. 

Jacquiline Fulgencio migrated from the Philippines three years ago where she graduated from a Business Administration course and had experience working in the manufacturing industry with tools and machines. A fascination with the Aerospace industry drew her to the Tec Voc AMMOP program where she has learned to apply her experience to the aviation industry. She encourages other women who may be interested to apply.

“We also have our Medical Careers Programs offered division-wide and the Medical Careers Exploration Program at R. B. Russell School,” said Hughes, adding, “These are all programs that are highly sought out by students to continue their learning after they finish high school. ‘

Other Program Partnerships:

• Career Trek – WOW (Wonder of Work) Grade 5 and 6 across the Division
• CDI – Career Development Internships (CDI) – unpaid internship placement in a career of interest
• Complete Youth Worker Readiness Certificate Course

WSD plans to continue its work to find further opportunities to develop its Career Education Program to ensure students have a full range of post-secondary possibilities.

“It's an exciting area for us to continue to develop within our school division to really ensure that our students have the full understanding of all the opportunities that are available to them,” he concluded, adding, “There are shortages anticipated in all these work forces so the opportunities are quite endless for students who are interested.”