(Fort McMurray, AB - January 29th, 2024) CAREERS Education has become a crucial aspect of modern-day education, as it enables students to explore various career options and understand how to pursue them. Fort McMurray Public School Division (FMPSD) has been at the forefront of providing exceptional career education opportunities to its junior and senior high students. Earlier this school year, FMPSD Director of Teaching and Learning Jen Quigley successfully organized FMPSD's Annual Career Fair, which saw over 30 careers and 50 partners participate. With a turnout of over 1100 students, the career fair demonstrated the importance of career education and paved the way for similar activities. These events are all a part of FMPSD's Education Plan Priorities; events that lay the foundation for future success in all aspects of learning, such as career-based education, are a part of 'Priority #1: Promoting Growth and Success For All Students'.
In line with this priority and vision, CAREERS School Engagement Coordinator Matthew Shewchuk recently took on a new role with FMPSD and CAREERS to create partnerships with various organizations and individuals to provide more career education opportunities throughout the school year. This partnership has seen over 30 organizations and individuals agree to support FMPSD career education, thus increasing the number of career options available to students. This support ranges from virtual and in-person presentations to school event support and other hands-on learning experiences that give students a better understanding of what different careers entail.
The CAREERS School Engagement Coordinator role is a partnership between CAREERS and FMPSD to provide students with exceptional career education opportunities. The role encompasses connecting with industry partners, creating new partnerships, and connecting them to schools. With the CAREERS partnership, Matthew is also attached to a network of secondees across the programs in various school divisions, allowing him to collaborate and learn best practices implemented in the FMPSD.
Matthew has been working closely with CAREERS to present to junior and senior high classes regarding the CAREERS organization and career planning education. Through these presentations, students and teachers are provided valuable information regarding the CAREERS partnership, their programs, and how the organization can support students in pursuing various careers. In addition, Matthew has been meeting industry leaders to invite their teams to join classes to present on their industries and careers, thus providing first-hand accounts of what each position entails.
Matthew's new role also sees him working to better support each school's off-campus coordinator with their CAREERS partnership, including working with their RAP students and the Indigenous Youth Internship Program students. This support is essential in ensuring students receive the necessary information and guidance to pursue their desired career paths.
According to Matthew, constant growth is at the forefront of FMPSD’s commitment to enhancing career education.
“We continuously strive for growth, and with that, we are continuously collaborating with other organizations to develop our career education opportunities further. With the semester changing for high school students, I am working with more organizations to continue creating partnerships between them and the schools. I look forward to more classroom presentations on various careers and potentially more hands-on learning opportunities for students in the future.”
FMPSD's commitment to providing career education opportunities through the CAREERS organization is commendable. With the support of CAREERS, students can access better career education resources, understand career expectations and opportunities, and confidently plan their future careers. The efforts by FMPSD and the CAREERS organization towards providing more awareness regarding the CAREERS partnership and the programs they offer for the region's youth are remarkable; this will go a long way in empowering students to succeed in their desired careers.
For additional information, contact:
Momin Syed
Communications Coordinator
Fort McMurray Public School Division
780-788-8009
communications@fmpsd.ab.ca