Twin Lakes Secondary School (TLSS) students learned more about a range of future career opportunities during a Tech Expo at the school Wednesday.
First responders, trades representatives, along with representatives from Georgian College, the City of Orillia, and the Simcoe County School Board were all set up in the TLSS cafeteria this morning to educate students about potential jobs and post-secondary opportunities available to them.
Clay Palmer, a communications technology teacher at TLSS who helped organize the career fair-styled event, hopes students use the opportunity to learn more about different career paths.
"This is just a way for students to see what is in Simcoe County," he said. "Maybe they will see that they don't necessarily need to move away to find a good job."
The Tech Expo was an annual staple at TLSS before the COVID pandemic, but had been put on hold since 2020.
"We are trying to make this an annual thing again," Palmer explained. "People are into it."
Palmer says the Tech Expo also shows students they can have a "nice life" without going to college or university.
"Not everyone is meant to go to university, college, or trades school," he said. "There are a variety of people in the world and it's important for them to see the different options."
All 30 vendors involved in the Tech Expo were excited to be a part of the event, Palmer says.
"Everyone wanted to help out with showing what they do and what they love," he said. "They want to start meeting kids who can come in and start filling roles with their organization."
Devon Blunt and Andrew Friesen, owners of Wilderness Plumbing Group, built a mock bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room for the Tech Expo to show students how plumbing works.
"We wanted to show kids that plumbing isn't just fixing toilets," Blunt said.
"We wanted to teach kids more about the trades because we didn't really have that when we were in high school," Friesen added.
Learning from a book isn't for everybody, which is why Blunt and Friesen went over and above on Wednesday to give students a more interactive experience.
"We wanted to give students who are mildly interested in plumbing or the trades an experience they won't forget," Friesen said. "Hopefully it inspires them," Blunt added.
Amanda Arnold, a volunteer firefighter with the Orillia Fire Department, was suiting TLSS students up in full fire gear during the event on Wednesday morning.
"This is a good event for students who are looking for a career that is different every day and exciting," she said. "Today they can interact with employers who can offer a career that is rewarding and engages with the community."
Arnold says she enjoyed fielding questions from students who are interested in becoming a first responder.
"For a student who isn't really sure, the best thing they could do is have the opportunity to ask the experts who have been doing it for multiple years," she said. "They can get more insight as to if this is something that will work for them."
Aurora Coe, a Grade 12 student, applauded the Tech Expo.
"It's important for us to be able to explore our options," she said. "It's nice that we can see our choices."
Grade 12 students often feel pressured in their final year of high school to know what their next step in life is going to be, she noted.
"Maybe students will find something here today that is their calling and can provide them a nice career," Coe said. "They can find the inspiration they need."
Coe herself learned about potential career paths on Wednesday that she previously didn't know about.
"It's good to know what's in the community," she said. "It's a good opportunity to make some connections."
Jordan Mongrain, a Grade 12 student, says the Tech Expo is a "great thing" for students.
"It helps us find what we want to do next," he said. "It gives us more of an idea of how we can find a career in something we are interested in."
Mongrain said he is hoping to get into the trades once he's graduated from high school.
"I'm pretty excited about it," he said. "Trades are very sustainable and not so easily automated by technology, so I think it will be a good career path."
