FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
$107,900 OTF Grow Grant Has Given Students Career Planning Tools
March 13, 2018 (Niagara) – On Tuesday March 13, 2018, the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC) welcomed MPP Jim Bradley and Sue Erskine, an Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) volunteer, to its office to celebrate the Job Route project. Thanks to a $107,900 OTF Grow grant awarded two years ago, Job Route has been educating Grade 10 students about future job opportunities in Niagara through a course of sector-specific videos.
“This investment by the Ontario Trillium Foundation to assist young people in our area in gaining knowledge about job opportunities in Niagara will be of great benefit to them as they plan their future,” said Jim Bradley, MPP St. Catharines.
More than 4,000 students have had access to the Job Route program since receiving the grant. The video series introduced students to careers in seven different sectors: Skilled Trades/Apprenticeship, Advanced Manufacturing, Entrepreneurship, Biosciences, Clean and Green Technology, Digital Media, and Health. In addition, funds from the grant enabled the GNCC to coordinate guest speakers from these sectors to attend classrooms across Niagara to enrich the learning experience, allowing students first-hand interaction with professionals from their respective field.
“The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant cannot be underestimated,” said Mishka Balsom, President/CEO of the GNCC. “This grant enabled us to work collaboratively with the District School Board of Niagara and the Niagara Catholic District School Board on a shared goal that will impact Niagara’s economic prosperity long into the future. Our school boards demonstrated a significant commitment to their students by adopting Job Route as a tool into their classrooms, ensuring all students have access to the information they need to make informed career decisions. These are the business owners and employees of the future, so we are thankful to Ontario Trillium Foundation for the opportunity to support local youth through Job Route.”
And while the grant ends in August, Job Route videos will remain available for use by school board partners. They can also be viewed on the Job Route section of the GNCC website at www.gncc.ca.
An agency of the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Trillium Foundation is one of Canada’s largest granting foundations. With a budget of over $136 million, OTF awards grants to some 1,000 projects every year to build healthy and vibrant Ontario communities. www.otf.ca
For more information, please contact:
Mishka Balsom
President/CEO
Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
905-684-2361 ext. 227
mishka@gncc.ca
