Co-op students display their work

About 70 students who took part in the co-op program this semester showed off their experience–and what they learned–during a display day yesterday morning at Fort High.
Erik Ross, who worked at Howarth’s Home Centre here, said his co-op experience helped him to decide that electrical engineering is the career path he wants to take.
“I had such a great experience at Howarth’s,” he enthused. “I got to do work in every department but the best time, by far, was when I got to work in repairs.
“In repairs, I got to do a lot of hands-on work and work on my own,” he added. “I really learned a lot and would recommend other students to do the same if they are not sure what they want to do.”
For someone like Terry Richards, who already knew he wants to become a police officer, a semester working with the O.P.P. has helped him get a feel for the work he hopes to be doing full-time some day.
“It was a great learning experience for me,” he said. “I got to do some administrative work and I also got to do some ride-alongs.
“After getting a chance to spend some time with the O.P.P., I have no doubt that I want to be a police officer now.”
Nancy Gillon, co-op teacher and organizer, has been quite pleased with the program that’s been a part of Fort Frances High School for 30 years.
“We were the first school to offer this program to its students,” she noted yesterday morning. “Since it first began, it has given students the opportunity to try on a career and get an idea of what they may want to do when they have finished school.”
Most of the students who participate in the co-op program come back from their experience with a renewed confidence that they’ve chosen the right career.
But there are a handful who find the path is not the one they want to take–a realization Gillon is happy the students get to learn early.
“To find out that you don’t want to do something is just as beneficial as knowing you have picked the right thing,” she stressed. “They get to find out right away if they are suited for a specific career, and if they find that they are not, then they can choose something else.
“The co-op program is really great that way.”
Jamie Soderholm is one such student who decided to come back and participate in the co-op program again after having a less than favourable experience last year.
“Last year, I had decided that I wanted to do my co-op with Green Funeral Home,” she said. “By the time I was done, I had decided that it was just not for me.
“This year I did my co-op at Huffman School and I had a much better time,” she added. “After completing this co-op, I have decided to pursue a career working with children.”
And local businesses that have opted to take on these co-op students have equally good things to say about their workers.
Arlene Georgeson, bookkeeper for Howarth’s Home Centre, was impressed with the student they took on this year. She said she’s glad Howarth’s has been able to give students their first start in the workplace.
“I have been working here for seven years and with the exception of one year, we have always brought on a co-op student,” Georgeson noted. “We really like doing this because we can always use the extra help, plus it helps the students figure out their career path.”
While most students choose to go outside the school for their co-op, Katie Galusha decided the best place to get a feel for the food industry would be in Fort High’s very own cafeteria.
“I really like working in the cafeteria because it gave me the chance to learn a lot about food preparation and service,” she said. “If you are not sure about what you want to do, this is the best way to figure it out.”
The consensus among the students who took part in this year’s co-op program was that it gave them the chance to learn a lot about themselves–and the future they want to have.
Gillon could not agree more.
“If a student is interested in nursing or office work, the program gives them the chance to work a semester in that environment,” she said. “That is an invaluable experience for them and they are very fortunate to have it.”