{"id":34743,"date":"2024-06-27T16:30:05","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T20:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/?p=34743"},"modified":"2024-07-04T17:34:28","modified_gmt":"2024-07-04T21:34:28","slug":"local-students-get-chamber-boost-to-study-skilled-trades-manufacturing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/local-students-get-chamber-boost-to-study-skilled-trades-manufacturing\/","title":{"rendered":"Local students get Chamber boost to study skilled trades, manufacturing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Michael Quarcoopome has long had a love for cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From family trips to the National Auto Show or getting his hands dirty puttering with his father around the garage, he came by his passion honestly, but it wasn\u2019t until beginning his Grade 9 year at Aurora\u2019s Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary School that he realized he could make a career out of his hobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now an apprentice at NewRoads Mazda in Newmarket, Michael\u2019s future career goals got a significant boost on Thursday thanks to the Aurora Chamber of Commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On June 20, the Aurora Chamber awarded two local students with $5,000 scholarships through their Business Engaging Youth Skilled Trades and Manufacturing Scholarships. Michael was the proud recipient of the Skilled Trades Scholarship while Maria Khomyakova, a recent grad of ESC Renaissance, took home the Manufacturing Scholarship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now in its second year, the initiative is designed to help students on their way to careers in manufacturing and the skilled trades, sectors which are currently facing a shortage of workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe started this initiative last year and we gave away two $5,000 scholarships as well for manufacturing and skilled trades. It\u2019s a legacy initiative for the Chamber,\u201d said Sandra Ferri, President and CEO of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce. \u201cWe are big proponents of getting youth involved in the business community and making sure they know there\u2019s a place here in Aurora for them to work and live.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the local businesses supporting the program are Bunn-O-Matic Corporation of Canada and the Lind Realty Team, represented by broker Lenard Lind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lind has been a long-time supporter of youth initiatives and becoming a part of the Chamber\u2019s program was a natural extension of his philanthropic work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He says both recipients were \u201cvery deserving\u201d of the recognition and he was heartened by the number of applicants who came forward in the program\u2019s second year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is a huge shortage [in the trades],\u201d said Lind. \u201cI read every trade magazine and they are all crying for apprenticeships. We\u2019re not doing a great job [of promoting the trades] through the high schools, so we have to educate students that there is another avenue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maria, whose high school co-op took her into the manufacturing side of things, agreed with this assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think not enough people my age are looking to go into those fields,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen I won the scholarship, people were like, \u2018Manufacturing? I never considered that before.\u2019 I don\u2019t meet a lot of people my age who plan to work in manufacturing now and I think the demand in Canada is high. It\u2019s a field that can innovate so, so much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Added Michael: \u201cIt feels really nice to be recognized for what I am doing. It might not be everyone\u2019s first pick, but for me, it\u2019s my first pick, and I think I\u2019m just really happy with the outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that Michael is finished high school, he intends to pursue a two-year program to become a fully licensed mechanic, while Maria was accepted to York University\u2019s Schulich MBA course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am very excited,\u201d she said. \u201cI think it will give me a full introduction to business in general and I can apply that knowledge into manufacturing in the future. I want to own something and be a businesswoman one day, owning my own company and business \u2013 whatever that may be \u2013 but that\u2019s in the future and operations is really interesting to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As both scholars work towards their goals this fall, local high school students will have the opportunity to learn more about manufacturing and skilled trades as the Chamber hosts a showcase on October 9 to connect students with the business community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll have manufacturers and skilled trades companies there and they will be able to walk around, talk to people from all these companies to see what opportunities there are right here in Aurora for them,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is hopefully an initiative that will go on for many, many more years. As the trends change, maybe it\u2019s not manufacturing or skilled trades, maybe it is something else, but hopefully we\u2019re always at the forefront of what our community is looking for in terms of workers and employment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Brock Weir<\/strong><\/p>\n\r\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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