JANUARY 2016
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to go where no one has gone before. “We
need to get them on the job so that they
can get experience and get someone to
mentor them in the process.”
Despite the obstacles, Harper and Vander-
wyk remain confident in the work being
done at the Technical Trades Academy and
the talent that continues to grow within it.
“I feel very privileged to work for an orga-
nization like theTechnicalTrades Academy,”
saysVanderwyk. “It’s very progressive and
inclusive with their choices for apprentice-
ship, for staff and the quality that is there.”
In addition to the work they do with First
Nations youth, the team at the Technical
Trades Academy also help women and
persons with impairments find encourage-
ment, and employment, in Ontario’s many
trades. According to Harper, giving differ-
ent groups of people the opportunity to
learn a trade is more than just a growing
trend, “it’s the right thing to do.”
More information about the Techni-
cal Trades Academy can be found at
.
