Bluewater District School Board Secondary Students hone their skills in new welding jackets.

Students enrolled in welding courses at eight Bluewater District School Board secondary schools are heading to class sporting some top of the line new apparel. A shipment of 75 welding jackets through the Canadian Welding Association (CWA) Foundation's National Initiative was recently donated to the board's Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) for distribution to local schools.

Recipient schools include: Georgian Bay Community School (Meaford), Grey Highlands Secondary School (Flesherton), John Diefenbaker Senior School (Hanover), Kincardine District Secondary School, Owen Sound District Secondary School, Peninsula Shores District School (Wiarton), Saugeen District Secondary School (Port Elgin), and Walkerton District Community School.

This is not the first time that local welding students have benefited from the CWA Foundation's strong commitment to enhancing skilled trades related training and educational experiences in Canadian communities. In 2016, the foundation donated 69 auto-darkening welding helmets to Bluewater District School Board secondary schools.

"It is thanks to the generosity and expertise of dedicated community partners, such as the CWA Foundation, that our students are better positioned for success in their future careers. Through exposure to the latest industry tools and personal protective equipment, students receive invaluable real world experience as they learn their trade," says OYAP Coordinator/Facilitator Dave Barrett.

source: media release, BWDSB