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  • Using Kids Help Phone

    Using Kids Help Phone

    Everyone has those days where they may be feeling a little down or are dealing with something scary or sad. Sometimes, on days like those, you just need someone to talk to! On the other hand, you may have questions that you just feel too embarrassed to ask your parents or friends. It is good to know that there is a place you can go to – whether it’s picking up a phone or going online.

    Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) is a free service for all youth up to the age of 20. The phone lines are open 24/7 and you can remain anonymous and discuss anything you wish to in complete confidentiality. The agency does not have caller ID display and you do not have to leave your name. If you are hesitant to call in, they also offer advice via their website – www.kidshelpphone.ca. Ask your question online!

    The website provides valuable information on topics such as dating, bullying, family, friends, school, mental health, violence, abuse, money and so much more. I looked up the topic “Bullying” on their website and it listed many different types (physical, emotional, social, cyber-bullying, etc.). I also learned that if you are victim of bullying, you should always tell someone, whether it be your teacher, parents, friends or even someone at Kids Help Phone. The next important tip I read on this topic was to make sure that I stay safe by taking the necessary steps to protect myself as much as I can. If the bully is targeting you when you are alone, try to walk with friends and keep in the company of others when at school. Try to avoid the person and, again, reporting this person is the best course of action to take.

    Take a look at the website and browse the topics which offer so much advice and reading material on the daily issues that may be a part of your life right now. There is also a forum in which you can see other readers’ questions and posts under any topic. The best part is that a counsellor from Kids Help Phone responds to the posts, so you know you will be getting great advice. This may help you if you are going through a similar life event or situation. Just remember that this service exists for a reason – to help kids know that there is someone out there who cares and wants to listen. Even if you feel that you don’t need to call this number right now, it is helpful to keep the number handy by putting it in your cell phone or writing it down somewhere. No question or concern is too little, so feel welcome to use Kids Help Phone at any time!

  • Trick of the Trade

    Trick of the Trade

    With so much attention brought to the business and management industries during Canadaʼs rekindling economic climate, many core fields of work are being overlooked by the students; one of these being the trades.

    The skilled trades are a growing field of work that is in constant need of well-trained workers.

    What exactly is a skilled trade? It can be defined as an expertness of a specific skill, usually attained through years of training and commonly related to construction and repair. The skills that are considered “trades skills” range broadly from carpenter, electrician, automotive technician, plumber, pipe fitter, welder and much more.

    There is a common misconception that the trades are considered “blue collar” jobs done through informal training. In reality there are a plentitude of academic institutions that provide education and preparation in the trades.

    Although it is common to get into the trades through practical training, it doesnʼt mean you will be making less money than someone who attended university. Tradespeople are some of the highest paid employees in Canada.  Not only is a customer paying for your knowledge about a trade, but they are also paying for expert performance.

    If you enjoy learning new lessons everyday and arenʼt afraid to be challenged, a career in the trades might suit you. Trades jobs are considered demanding and will put your mind and body to the test daily. If you enjoy a hands-on work environment, and are interested in how things work, this field may be what you want to look at.

    There is an increasing shortage in the skilled trades. According to careersintrades.ca, 67% of young adults choose university over a college education in the trades because it was encouraged more by friends and family. There were also instances in which a lack of information about the trades swayed students away from the sector.

    So, what exactly are the steps to take to become a tradespeople? The most efficient and reputable manner to becoming certified in the trades is an apprenticeship. This way, you are getting one-on-one experience with a master in the trade who can help you further your knowledge and skills. Many college programs that deal with the trades have their own apprenticeship training programs. So go and check out your local college to see what they offer, or look on Jobs People Do to see what colleges offer certain apprenticeships.

    The best thing to do in your early years of education is to look at high schools that provide introductory training of a trades skill you are interested in. Julian Finbow Westlane graduate, claims that:

    “Taking the refrigeration course at such a young age was extremely beneficial for the jobs I am interested in.”

    Julian is looking to develop his trade skills in refrigeration, and is planning on either taking a apprenticeship or going to college.

    Become involved and research trade skills you think will peak your interest. It may be beneficial to shaping your career path! So put on that thinking cap (or hardhat for this situation) and immerse yourself in the trades.

  • Careers with Animals: Horse Groomer

    Careers with Animals: Horse Groomer

    If you’ve spent any time at all around stables, you’ll know horses require a lot of care to keep them groomed, healthy and happy. Looking after a horse’s needs can sometimes be a full-time job – and, in fact, it is! Horse groomers or equine grooms are the people who maintain a horse’s nutrition, grooming and overall health. If you love horses, the great outdoors, and working with your hands, this could be the job for you.

    Skill Requirements
    First and foremost, a horse groomer should be very comfortable with touching horses and being in their vicinity for extend periods of times. Horse grooming involves a lot of time spent with the horses tending to their needs. Brushing, feeding, watering, tacking, untacking, cleaning the stalls, and exercising the horses is all part of a groomer’s daily routine. Rain, shine, or snow, groomers are expected to perform these tasks. A groomer should also be able to read and understand horse documentation and take care of prescriptions and medications a horse may need at the instruction of a veterinarian.

    Groomers also require patience and strong observation skills. Changes in behaviour or signs of physical injury can only be detected through maintaining a strong bond with the horses and a watchful eye.

    Qualifications and Apprenticeships
    The qualifications needed for grooming can vary and entirely depends on the employer. Some employers won’t require an entry level groomer or an apprentice groomer to have official qualifications. That said, previous experience with horses is almost always a must. Volunteer experience in a stable or barn can help your chances when applying for paid work.

    If you are looking to get certifiable experience, look into basic horse care programs at colleges in your area. There are also universities in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Alberta that offer undergraduate programs in equine studies suitable for those looking for a more technical career in the same field.

    Hours and Salary
    Horse grooming typically involves early mornings and a 40-hour work week. Entry level groomers will earn minimum wage at first, gradually earning raises as they gain more experience. More experienced groomers will earn a starting rate at anywhere from $15-$20 dollars an hour. Depending on the employer, there may also be benefits provided.

  • June Scholarships of the Month – Apply Now!

    June Scholarships of the Month – Apply Now!

    If you are graduating from high school this month, chances are you are preparing to enter your first year of college or university this fall. That means you need to figure out your finances – how exactly will you pay for your post-secondary education? Student loans are very helpful, but you need to pay them back. There’s a bevy of scholarships and bursaries just waiting for you to go out and grab them – and you don’t have to repay them! So what are you waiting for? Check out some of these excellent scholarships and apply for that FREE money!

    1. Equals6 30 Day Scholarship – Open to all students in all programs. Amount: $250. Deadline: June 12, 2013.

    2. Bill 7 Award – Open to students who identify as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirited, and/or queer and are attending a school in Ontario. Amount: $2000. Deadline: August 2, 2013.

    3. NACBS Undergraduate Essay Contest – Open to students in any school who write an essay on a British topic. Amount: $100. Deadline: June 15, 2013.

    4. Workers Health & Safety Centre Scholarship – Open to students attending school in Ontario. Amount: $1000. Deadline: June 7, 2013.

    5. AIA and the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) Scholarship Program – Open to students enrolled in an accredited automotive technical program in Canada. Amount: $1000. Deadline: June 15, 2013.

    6. Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers Memorial Scholarship – Open to students who are studying agriculture in any school. Amount: $1000. Deadline: June 30, 2013.

    7. Nexen Oil Sands Scholarship Program – Open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents that reside within the area eligible for bus transportation to Fort McMurray by the Northland School Division. Amount: $2500. Deadline: June 30, 2013.

    8. Canadian Medical Hall of Fame/Great-West Life, London Life, and Canada Life Scholarship Fund – Open to currently enrolled high school students planning to pursue post-secondary studies in medicine or health sciences at a Canadian university. Amount: $1000. Deadline: June 10, 2013.

    9. Nelson Civic Leadership Scholarship – Open to all Canadian students outside of Quebec who are making a difference in their community. Amount: $5000. Deadline: June 28, 2013.

    10. Canada Post Aboriginal Education Incentive Awards – Open to Aboriginal Canadians who have been out of school for one year. Amount: $1000. Deadline: August 31, 2013.

  • Facts on Apprenticeships

    Facts on Apprenticeships

    Are you young and still in high school? Maybe you’re finished school and are looking for a new direction? Or, you are already working and looking for a career that suits you better?

    If any of this applies to you, an apprenticeship could be what you’ve been looking for. Thousands of people like you register as apprentices every year. Why? It’s simple. An apprenticeship is your ticket to a challenging and rewarding career in skilled trades.

    RESPECT
    Skilled trades play an important role in Canada’s knowledge-based economy. Think about it. They touch almost every aspect of our lives from the homes we live in, to the cars we drive, to the food we eat.

    OPPORTUNITY
    With over 200 careers to choose from, there is a skilled trade for everyone. The demand is high, you get to travel, and you could become your own boss!

    GOOD PAY
    Tradespeople are rewarded with great pay – often better than average!

    The BARE FACTS on Apprenticeship Training
    Apprenticeship is a form of post-secondary education like university or college. But there’s a big difference. Apprentices not only learn skills in
    a classroom, but receive paid on-the-job training with an employer.

    • Depending on the trade, an apprenticeship can take two to five years to complete.
    • Apprentices usually spend 40 to 44 weeks a year on the job and go to school for six to eight weeks.
    • Apprentices must find an employer and may need to pay tuition fees for in-school training.
    • Apprentices earn a salary on the job from their first day.
    • Apprentices receive a Certificate of Qualification in a designated trade.

    Did You Know?
    Pre-apprenticeship training is available in some regions. These work placements allow students who are still in high school to get a running start on their careers in skilled trades – not to mention earn school credits at the same time!

    Work Anywhere in Canada!
    Depending on their trade, apprentices who have obtained their certificate can write an inter-provincial exam to obtain a Red Seal endorsement and practice their trade across the country.

    • The “Red Seal” allows qualified tradespersons to practice the trade in any province or territory in Canada where the trade is designated without having to write further examinations.
    • To date, there are forty-five trades included in the Red Seal Program on a national basis.

  • A Garbage Patch In The Great Lakes?

    A Garbage Patch In The Great Lakes?

    You may have heard about the garbage patches that exist in the oceans – where specific ocean and atmospheric conditions ensnare debris, small pieces of plastic, which accumulate into large amounts of trash hundreds of kilometres from coastlines.

    Recent research has just discovered that the Great Lakes, the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem, are also being affected by plastic pollution.

    Collecting water samples from Lakes Superior, Erie and Huron researchers found plastic concentrations ranging from 600 to 650,000 plastic pieces per square kilometer.

    While these plastic particles aren’t always visible, they’re there, absorbing toxic chemicals from the water, entering the food chain and impacting wildlife.

    For more information on issues impacting Canada’s water resources and actions we can take to help curb our impacts, please visit Rivers To Oceans.

  • Happy Graduation & Summer from JobsPeopleDo.com!

    Happy Graduation & Summer from JobsPeopleDo.com!

    For those of you in Grade 12, June is the month you have been waiting your entire life for – you will be graduating from high school. This is a momentous occasion, and one that you worked extremely hard to achieve. Be proud of what you have accomplished and enjoy all of the activities and festivities that come with graduation.

    If it’s not your graduation year, that means June brings a different reason for celebration – summer vacation! There are so many things you can do this summer to bring you closer to your goals, whether it’s getting your first summer job, volunteering or just focusing on being the best version of yourself you can possibly be. Take these summer months to relax, recharge and set your goals for the next school year.

    This month, JobsPeopleDo.com brings you great editorial pieces about what you can do with your summer, whether you are moving on to post-secondary education or not. Don’t forget that it’s never too late to apply for scholarships if you need them for September, so check out our list of ten new and interesting ones that you apply for this month.

    From all of us at JobsPeopleDo.com, we wish you a happy, safe and productive summer!

    Jasmin Bollman, Assistant Editor
    Don’t forget – be a mentor, someone needs you!

  • Women in Trades

    Women in Trades

    In the past, asking a girl what she wanted to do when she grew up probably would have resulted in a blank stare. Most girls got married and raised families. Even if they worked, they had only a few choices for the kinds of work they could do, and they were discouraged from getting into other types of work. If they chose another kind of work, they would probably face all kinds of barriers and problems. Many things have changed over the years and women now find it much easier to get into professions like law and medicine. They can work as editors, scientists, and computer analysts. Women are also entering traditionally male-dominated trades and are becoming electricians, plumbers, construction workers, and more.

    The history of women in the trades really began during the Second World War (1939-1945), when many of the men from North America and Europe were away fighting in the war. Their jobs as welders, ship-builders and painters still needed to be done, and women took over and learned to work in job fields that included electricians, insulators, and pipe-fitters. When men returned after the war, many women went back to their regular work while men took over the trades again. However, women had discovered that they could do much more than their traditional work. Slowly, they began to get back into the trades that they had left at the end of the war.

    Getting women back into the trades after so long has not been easy. Teachers and parents have had to encourage girls to consider the trades instead of getting into more traditional fields like teaching or nursing. Training schools have had to make their programs appealing to women so that they would consider trades as possible careers. Even the government has become involved by funding support programs for women entering the trades or lending students the money they need to pay their tuition fees. Other groups have had to help, as well.

    One way that organizations can help is by guiding women into the right training program. Canada has over two hundred different trades, and making a decision about which trade is best can be difficult. The next stage is finding a good training program. Training is important for anyone who wants to be a skilled tradesperson rather than a labourer. Even if no job is available for people after they graduate, their skills are always valuable.

    Most training programs in the trades involve a combination of classroom work and practical training, often ending with a work-placement segment. This is when students get to work at an actual job but still learn at the same time. A typical program might include about seven or eight months of instruction, followed by four or five months of work on the job to gain experience. Sometimes, a full-time job can be the result of the work placement.

    Women are entering the trades in greater numbers than they have in years. If you’re a girl, maybe you should consider being one of these trendsetters!

  • Rotary Clubs Sponsor Exchange Students

    Rotary Clubs Sponsor Exchange Students

    Very few clubs can claim to span the entire planet Earth, with members from Iceland to Antarctica. Few non-governmental organizations can hold a seat in the United Nations, too. So which club does? Which club is commonly recognized as having the impact and value of an entire nation while spanning nearly all?

    Rotary International (RI) is the world’s first service club organization, with more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary members are “volunteers and humanitarians who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, and promote peace,” according to RI President John Kenny. Some of their main focuses include eradicating the Polio virus, promoting literacy, and engaging youth through exchange programs and educational opportunities. Sounds awesome! Want to join?

    As students, we’re actually too young to be Rotarians. However, for us, Rotary offers something even better.

    RI funds Rotaract clubs. Rotaract has the same values and goals as Rotary but is meant for students and young professionals between the ages of 18 and 30. It also partners with Interact clubs, Rotary for high school students, and RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) programs. Rotaract, Interact and RYLA are all fantastic ways to get involved in your community and your world. If you haven’t looked into these clubs yet, now is the time.

    Until this year, RI had four official avenues of service: club, vocational, community, and international. This year, for the first time in a century, Rotary announced a fifth avenue of service: “New Generations”. Rotarians are sponsoring youth on more frequent, new exchange trips, and focusing their community efforts toward our futures and well-being. They’re all about us now, so let’s take full advantage and give back as much as we can.

    Last summer, Rotary hosted their 101st Annual International Convention Meeting in Montreal, Quebec, and I am one of over 20,000 members who attended. They had meetings, workshops, guest speakers, social events, and special performances for all the Rotarians and Rotaractors. We were given speeches on global awareness by Queen Noor of Jordan, current Nobel Peace Prize nominee Greg Mortenson, country music star Dolly Parton, and more. We were also part of a mass volunteer effort that cleaned up some of Montreal’s most beautiful agricultural areas and donated both time and pocket-change to support many charitable initiatives.

    The convention provided great opportunities both professionally and personally. Professionally, Rotary is a great way to build networks of contacts and build leadership skills that can help you reach your school and work-related goals. On a personal level, you can enjoy friendships with hundreds of people from around the world.

    Kelly Mills, a neuroscience major from Alberta’s Lethbridge University, said that Rotary was a great way to bring people together. “It’s a connection,” she explained, “you can go up to anyone and everyone. Just smile and you’re friends.”

    If you want to get involved by finding a Rotaract or Interact club in your community, visit Rotaract.

    Contact your local Rotary club if you are interested in starting your own, and helping your city or high school add to the worldwide service network that is Rotary International.

  • Grants for Students with Disabilities

    Grants for Students with Disabilities

    Am I eligible?
    You are eligible if you:
    – apply and qualify for a Canada Student Loan;
    – are enrolled in a full-time or part-time program (minimum 32 weeks) at a designated post-secondary institution;
    – meet the criteria for students with permanent disabilities; and
    – include one of the following with your loan application as proof of your disability: a medical certificate, a psycho-educational assessment, or documentation proving receipt of federal or provincial disability assistance.

    What’s available?
    $2,000 per academic year (August 1 to July 31).
    This grant is available for each year of post-secondary studies, provided you continue to meet the eligibility criteria. This includes post-secondary studies beyond the undergraduate level. Grant money is issued by your province or territory of permanent residence at the beginning and in the middle of the school year.

    Since grant amounts are fixed, the amount you receive may exceed your assessed need.
    Example: If you qualify for the grant and you have an assessed need of $1,400, you will receive a $2,000 grant. In this case, the grant would cover your assessed need, so you would not need a student loan.

    How do I apply?
    The application process for this grant differs in each jurisdiction. To make sure you meet all the application requirements, contact your province or territory’s student financial assistance office.