Bluewater District high school students hone 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: Kincardine District Secondary School, Georgian Bay Community School in Meaford, Grey Highlands Secondary School in Flesherton, John Diefenbaker Senior School in Hanover, Owen Sound District Secondary School, Peninsula Shores District School in Wiarton, Saugeen District Secondary School in 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 the Bluewater District high 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," says OYAP co-ordinator/facilitator Dave Barrett. "Through exposure to the latest industry tools and personal protective equipment, students receive invaluable real-world experience as they learn their trade.”



Welding students at Saugeen District Secondary School in Port Elgin, sport new welding jackets, thanks to a donation through the Canadian Welding Association (CWA) Foundation’s national initiative; photos courtesy of the Bluewater District School Board