On September 17, nearly 500 Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) Grade 7 and 8 students attended the Level Up! Skilled Trades Career Fair in Barrie.
Throughout the day, students had the opportunity to travel around various booths and exhibits, where they learned about Ontario’s 140+ skilled trades through interactive and hands-on activities, all while hearing directly from tradespeople and local employers.
“It was wonderful to see so many eager students connecting with employers, engaging with the hands-on activities, and exploring the diverse opportunities in the trades,” said TLDSB experiential learning consultant, Katie Albisser.
“This was a great experience – organized and so informative,” said Monck Public School Grade 7/8 teacher, Heather Devane. “I loved the various hands-on activities. The students were engaged and really enjoyed themselves.”
“The ability to hands-on attempt the huge variety of skilled trades was a great feature for my students,” said Gravenhurst Public School Grade 7/8 teacher, Diana Billingsley. “They loved getting to actually do the tasks, as opposed to sitting and listening to someone talk about what they do.”
Students enjoyed it too and shared the following:
“I think the best part of my experience was the interactive booths. It was fun to be able to do a hands-on activity instead of sitting and listening.”
“I was not expecting to do well at sewing, but I was surprised when I was pretty good at it.”
