Local high school students explore potential futures at Special Areas
Over 170 high-school students from across the region explored potential careers at Special Areas this past April. Prairie Land School Division partnered with Special Areas Board staff to highlight different opportunities students could pursue right here in the Special Areas. Grade 10 and 11 students learned more about potential careers from equipment operators to agricultural fieldmen – and everything in between.
“Special Areas has always been a big supporter of Prairie Land – and its students. It was important that we help our students understand how many different careers are found right here in our rural communities. PLRD is all about preparing our students for big futures; we wanted to make sure students knew they could pursue those big futures in the Special Areas.” — Kelly Lewis, Coordinator of Teacher Recruitment, Trades & Outdoor Learning
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Over the two-day event, students participated in sessions highlighting different trades Special Areas employs. Special Areas employs over 120 permanent and 140 seasonal staff, and students learned more about potential jobs – and career paths – offered here at home. Sessions focused on agricultural services, equipment operating, road maintenance and construction, and protective services. Students enjoyed the exposure to different trades, noting how there is more to being in the trades than just the type of work, including potential advancement. Over two-thirds of students indicated this event helped stir an interest in occupations they hadn’t considered before with the wide variety of potential careers shown at the event.
“We appreciated the chance to meet high-school students from across the region and show them some of the different jobs they could have at Special Areas. There are so many different careers possible and helping students see how they could get a good job right here at home is very important to us. We want local students to see ways they can build a future here at home if they want.” — Brent Fecho, Superintendent of Roads & Equipment
Students enjoyed hands-on learning opportunities during the sessions, including a state-of-the-art grader simulator from Finning Caterpillar. Staff from Special Areas roads and construction departments spoke about the type of work they do and toured students through various equipment. Braden Grover, Youngstown Shop Supervisor, shared a bit about potential careers available at the Service Center, including heavy duty & automotive equipment servicing, welding, and much more. Students toured the nineteen-bay service center which maintains over 300 pieces of heavy equipment, getting a chance to see different careers at work.
Agricultural Fieldmen talked about their role, including key tasks like weed control to pest surveys to working in the Red Deer River valley. During interactive games, students had a chance to try out different tools like backpack sprayers, sweep nets, and pest controls. Students heard about different employment opportunities available each season, including ones based in Consort, Hanna and Oyen. Special Areas Fire Services shared more about how students can volunteer in their communities at a local fire department. Training on correct fire extinguisher use gave students hands-on learning, putting it into use by fighting a fire in a live-fire training prop.
Lunch was served at the Youngstown Community Hall, a delicious meal of gourmet hot dogs provided by the Friends of Youngstown Society. At the hall, students could visit booths to learn more about careers in the trades and future training paths. Representatives from Medicine Hat College helped students have hands-on practice with a house wiring simulator, along with information on post-secondary training programs. CAREERS shared information about the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP), including how students could pursue different trade career paths while still working. Dual-credit programs were featured at the Altario Agricultural Academy booth, including new opportunities with Lakeland College.
To learn more about working at Special Areas Board, visit https://specialareas.ab.ca/careers/.