Please see the article below that was written by Lindsay Collegiate and Vocational Institute (LCVI) student, Emma Fox, and published in the Ontario Cooperative Education Association’s (OCEA) Capturing the Student Voice publication. You can also view the online publication on the OCEA website.
My name is Emma Fox, and I am a grade 12 student at LCVI in Lindsay, Ontario. I am in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program as an Automotive Service Technician and my placement is at Polito Ford in Lindsay, Ontario.
As I was entering my last year of high school, I had still not decided what I wanted to do after graduating. I had taken an automotive class in grade 11 and I enjoyed working on vehicles and trying out welding. I have always loved helping my dad whenever he worked on any of our vehicles at home so I thought the automotive service industry would interest me. However, I also knew that welding was a passion that I wanted to explore.
After speaking with Ms. Cossarin, my co-op teacher, we decided I should do my co-op in the automotive field and take a dual credit course in welding through Fleming College. I loved the dual credit program as it introduced me to different welding techniques. Meanwhile, at Polito Ford, I really enjoyed what I was doing and who I was working with. My duties included helping around the shop by sweeping, assisting the mechanics, emptying the garbage, and taking out recycling and scrap.
Polito Ford hired me to work in the service department after school every day. As my co-op placement was nearing the end Ms. Cossarin asked if I had thought about signing up as an OYAP apprentice. To be honest, I had not even thought about it as I was still undecided on what to do after I graduated. After many discussions with Ms. Cossarin and my parents, I decided to sign a Registered Training Agreement. Working towards becoming an Automotive Service Technician allows me to work on vehicles and allows me some opportunities to weld.
My advice to anyone who is unsure of what career choice they want to make is to do a co-op in the field they are interested in pursuing. Taking the dual credit course was extremely beneficial to me as well because it taught me skills that would help me in my chosen career.
