PERCS at St. Lawrence College

(Pictured above: Brandon Skalin, a Grade 12 student at Athens District High School perfects his cutting form during the Chainsaw Safety workshop today at the PERCS Certification Days event at St. Lawrence College in Brockville. Close to 200 high school students attended the event to gain certifications in a variety of areas including CPR and safe food handling.)

(Brockville) – Close to 200 Upper Canada District School Board high school students from four local schools will earn over 300 certifications during the PERCS (Partners for Employment Readiness Certification of Students) Certification Days at St. Lawrence College in Brockville from May 12-13.

The UCDSB has partnered with SLC’s Job Connect, the Employment and Education Centre and 3M to offer a wide variety of half-day, one-day and two-day certification workshops for Grades 11 and 12 students. Workshops include Standard First Aid/CPR/Defibrillation, Chainsaw Safety, Fall Arrest, Forklift, Scissor Lift, Safe Food Handling, Smart Serve, Loss Prevention, Pleasure Craft Certification, Service Excellence and a special workshop called “What Kids Think They Know but Employers Say They Don’t,” which involves six separate stations.

Jill Montgomery, a co-op teacher at South Grenville District High School and member of the PERCS Committee, said registrants from Brockville Collegiate Institute, Thousand Islands Secondary School, Athens District High School and South Grenville have the opportunity to add up to three certifications to their resume as a result of participating in PERCS.

“This is a great opportunity for students,” Montgomery said. “A lot of students are doing these workshops because the post-secondary programs they are pursuing require specific certifications. This helps them collect the material they need to go off to college and university.”

In its fourth year, PERCS has been funded through Ministry grants, the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, Specialist High Skills Major and Student Success.

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For more information, please call:

Jill Montgomery

Secondary Teacher

South Grenville District High School

613-925-2855