Mining co-op students looking for placements

Sudbury, Ont.-area Rainbow District School Board is searching for placements for students in its recently created mining-focused high school program.

Students in the program are in Grades 11 and 12 and work for six weeks during the summer to fulfill the co-op component of the program and get an introduction to the mining industry.

Started in 2006, the program is part of the Ministry of Education’s “Learning to 18” initiative aimed at improving the learning experience for students from Grades 7-12.

The mining program is one of 67 specialist high skills programs being piloted in Ontario; each program is targeted to a specific job market.

So far, Lively District Secondary School and Lockerby Composite School in Sudbury are running the mining curriculum with 44 students in the program.

Most of the nine courses the students take relate specifically to the mining sector with the other courses, such as math and English, taught with a mining angle.

Through the program and its associated co-op, students receive industry certification in safety awareness, which encourages them to develop responsible attitudes.

If you can offer a placement to a student, please contact Sofia Gallagher, Curriculum Co-ordinator (7-12), Science and Technological Studies, Rainbow District School Board at 705 523-3308, ext. 8203; email gallags@rainbowschools.ca.