Career Trek coming back in a big way
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/01/2024 (845 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Career Trek in Westman is coming back from the pandemic in a big way, giving students hands-on experience in new and expanded programs that offer a glimpse into real-world jobs.
The non-profit organization, which runs career-oriented programming for students in Grades 5 and 6, and now Grades 9 to 12, had to reduce its programming drastically to a few online classes during the pandemic. Erin Chartrand, manager of Career Trek West Region, said it has been slow to build back up its in-person programs, but this school year Career Trek will be offering multiple programs and for the first time, a program called “Your Future is Now,” all in person.
“(The pandemic) really affected us in a huge way,” said Chartrand. “We were not able to run programming anymore and in person. During that time, we revised only a handful of our lessons. And we did it virtually, with school divisions. It was not the greatest, but it was something for the time.
Career Trek employees Maddy Kiburn, Rani Andresen and Erin Chartrand are bringing back more in-person programs for students in Grades 5 and 6 and Grades 9 to 12 this year. They are the only Career Trek region in Manitoba to bring back in-person programming after the pandemic forced the program to go virtual provincewide. (Kyla Henderson/The Brandon Sun)
“Now we’re in a place where we are the first region to be back in person, which Brandon University and ACC made possible because they wanted us back and they wanted us here. So that made it easier.”
An old familiar program for students in Grades 5 and 6, called the “Wonder of Work,” will start up Jan. 11 for the winter session. This program runs eight weeks on Saturdays and includes workshops where students learn about real careers in an interactive way.
In the fall session, students participated in 29 career exploration lessons held at BU, ACC, the Len Evans Centre for Trade and Technology and BU’s Faculty of Health Studies. Students learned how to design a pizza restaurant, complete with a marketing campaign. They learned about costume design and makeup artistry, software development, eco-tourism and what registered psychiatric nurses and acute care nurses do.
The winter session of Wonder of Work starts Jan. 11 and registration closes Jan. 8. However, Chartrand said, parents can register anytime and those who do not get into the winter session will be put on the list for the spring session. There are also opportunities for older students to volunteer to gain valuable experience and possibly a high school credit.
“Your Future is Now” is a new program this year for students in Grades 9 to 12, which allows students to explore different careers by participating in workshops and industry tours. The winter session will run for eight weeks after school on Wednesdays and Thursdays, starting Jan. 10.
Chartrand said students can connect with the community, build self-awareness and confidence and have a glimpse into real careers and what post-secondary school is like. Chartrand said Career Trek is also working to remove barriers like transportation for its teenage participants, partnering with a local cab agency to give students who do not have rides a lift.
The biggest challenge though, Chartrand said, is convincing those teenagers that they will like the program.
“We get a teenager, a mom or someone coming up to our booth. They will say, ‘Do we have to come to every session?’ And I always say, ‘No, but you are going to because it’s fun.’ And that is something I can say from what I have observed,” said Chartrand, who ran a successful Career Trek summer camp this past year as well.
Another successful program Career Trek West Region has implemented is “Trekker Day.” They ran their first version on Nov. 24 — a PD day for Grade 9 to 12 students. Chartrand said they were hoping for 15 students for the first time and they ended up with 30. Students spent the day touring the Brandon police station, Creation Nation Space, The Samaritan House Food Bank and Brandon City Council chambers — they even spent time chatting with Mayor Jeff Fawcett.
“We went to meet the mayor and he said, ‘I went to university and took whatever bachelor.’ Then he goes, ‘I didn’t know what I was going to do with it. And I went back to school again.’ He told them, ‘Education will never be a waste of time, because you don’t know where you’re going to end up.’ The kids were just quiet, and they were listening, and they were writing and it was just wonderful,” Chartrand said.
Career Trek will run another “Trekker Day” in March. For more information, go to careertrek.ca.
» khenderson@brandonsun.com