TOUR and Presentation by Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board
The Workforce WindsorEssex Annual General Meeting 2019 was held on June 13th, at St. Joseph’s Highschool. The theme of the AGM was “Prism of Possibilities”. The meeting started with an impressive tour of the school’s Construction Academy.
The Construction Academy is a unique program that provides students with apprenticeship and employment opportunities in the construction industry while providing employers with a new source of workers to address skills shortages. Participating students are given the opportunity to start their apprenticeship while in high school through the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) and gain real “on the job” experience. This program is available to all WECDSB students but delivered at two WECDSB schools: F. J. Brennan (Masonry) and St. Joseph’s Catholic High Schools (Carpentry).
After the tour, led by Cory McAiney, the attendees viewed the Construction Academy’s video that promoted how Workforce WindsorEssex’s labour market information was used in the development of the program.
Dan Fister – Executive Superintendent of Innovation and Experiential Learning, and Chris Morris and Gina Parent – teacher consultants for the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board, also spoke about how our resources have contributed to their student’s career exploration both in the classroom and in the community.
“Workforce is in the business of teaching everyone about the opportunities available in Windsor-Essex”
“Workforce WindsorEssex is the fertilizer that nurtures the soil that allows us to grow together and foster”
-Dan Fister
APPOINTMENT of Officers
Doug Sartorti finished his term as Chair of the Board for Workforce WindsorEssex after 2 years. Leslie Frattaroli has been appointed the new Chair of the Board. We would like to thank Doug for his years of service, and we look forward to continuing to work with him as a member of the Board of Directors. We would also like to thank Mike Bilton who was the Vice-Chair and Secretary since 2017.
We welcome Lee Haldeman who was appointed our new Vice-Chair and Secretary, and congratulate Bryn Furtaw who was reappointed as treasurer.
Prism of POSSIBILITIES – a year in review
Our Executive Director Michelle Suchiu, presented our “PRISM of Possibilities” year-in-review book, highlighting the partnerships, resources, innovation, success and momentum of Workforce WindsorEssex’s past year.
Presentation by Stephen Mackenzie- Windsor Essex Economic Development Corporation
Stephen MacKenzie, President and Chief Executive Officer of Windsor Essex Economic Development Corporation, provided a thoughtful overview of economic development opportunities at our Annual General Meeting.
“Workforce is the fuel that drives the economy” -Stephen MacKenzie
JOHN TOTH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROGRAM
John Toth was a committed member of the Workforce WindsorEssex board and Executive committee. Over the years, John showed his relentless support for the organization and our community. He always made time for others and used his voice to speak on behalf of others who may not have the confidence to do so on their own.
John passed in April 2019. Before his passing, Darlene Malcolm had the opportunity to speak with him about our idea to create an experiential learning opportunities program within Workforce for students in his name. He graciously agreed.
University of Windsor student Marissa Bumanlag is the 2019 and first program participant of the John Toth Experiential Learning Program.
