Training the future.

• Position: THE "HOW TO" GUIDE

For many companies scrounging for skilled labour, sourcing future employees closer to home is always preferable to going out on the national market.

There are many organizations promoting experiential learning opportunities, including the Passport to Prosperity program, geared toward high school seniors in Grades 11 and 12.

Passport to Prosperity (P2P) is a school-work partnership program that's been running in Ontario for 10 years, and in Dryden since 2001. Devon MacKinnon, the P2P program co-ordinator said there have been numerous local success stories of students landing summer jobs and eventually full-time employment with local businesses. Big employers like forestry giant Domtar have taken students under the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program for co-op placements.

P2P is something similar to an introductory course offered by community colleges for skilled trades, but is aimed at high schools. It provides opportunities for high school students to either job-shadow and observe in the workplace for one-day-a-week. They can make a bigger hourly commitment to an employer by learning various aspects of an occupation or industry.

"It's a way for students to gain their credits but also do the skills they're going to need to graduate," said MacKinnon.

Employers can signal their interest by calling their local training-board or going online to an employer registry, an initiative of the Ministry of Education, which lists a provincial database of employers. Once companies register, there is usually a follow-up by a program co-ordinator to identify what kind of opportunity the employer is...