A new partnership project aimed at training skilled workers of the future was unveiled in Ripley on Tuesday.
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization, alongside Huron-Kinloss, South Bruce, Bluewater District and Bruce Grey Catholic District School Boards, are partnering to fund a skilled trades simulation trailer for students.
Dave Barrett, the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program coordinator and facilitator, said the goal of the program is simple.
"The idea behind this was to get trades experience, so we've always contended 'how can students know what they want to do if they've never tried it?' So the goal of this is to get it into elementary schools primarily as our target," he said.
The project funding is for $75,000, with NWMO providing $50,000 and Huron-Kinloss and South Bruce each providing $12,500 through their NWMO Resource fund. The trailer will begin travelling to schools in September. The trailer will feature simulations of skills like welding, painting, carpentry, electrical work, and heavy machinery. Barrett said the idea is to get kids interested in working in skilled trades.
"Give them the chance to try skilled trades like heavy equipment, like welding, like painting, all these things that manufacturers and great supporters throughout our community for years are looking for in their workforce," he said.
Laurie Swami, president and CEO of the NWMO, said they wanted to be involved to perhaps entice young students to get involved with projects they're implementing locally.
"At the NWMO we have a very long-term project we are implementing and we really want to initiate work with younger people who might have interest in our project," she said.
The NWMO is working on its Deep Geologic Repository project, and a site will be picked by 2023. Swami said this project will help build more relationships with the local area. She added that being able to do this with local partners is huge.
"It's really important to us to work in partnership with the local communities and that's something we're really focused on right now, so that they can learn about our project and they can decide whether or not they're going to be interested in moving forward with us," she said.
