Gold medal winner Janelle “Squeaky” Weisbeck works on her machinist skills at Foothills Composite High School.
photo by Darlene Casten |
By Darlene Casten
staff reporter
Foothills Composite students have already proven they are winners and the rewards keep on coming for the hard working trades students.
The school just found out that they have qualified for a $275,000 provincial grant that will not only help modernize the school’s equipment, but also expand the scope of trades training.
Fabrication studies teacher Virgil Green was behind the grant application and said it will go a long way to improve the school’s dozen or so trades classes.
“We want the kids to be involved in the broader trades,” Green said. “We want to be able to create as real of an experience as possible.”
Most of the money will be used to buy the expensive equipment needed to give students hands on experience.
“Seventy per cent will go towards upgrading our equipment to industry quality,” Green said. “We will get a high-end wheel alignment machine, a commercial oven for the kitchen and portable welding machines and framing equipment.”
The rest of the money, approximately $75,000, will be used to fund a project that will benefit both the students and a worthy cause.
School officials are currently in talks with the people from the Easter Seals Camp near Bragg Creek about building a cabin for the site.
The portable structure will be built at the school and will involve everything from electrical work to plumbing — areas not currently taught at the composite high school.
Green hopes that some Comp alumni now working in the trades will get involved, bringing their knowledge to fill in the gaps as the project proceeds.
In the meantime, enthusiasm for the project is already building amongst the students.
“We already have 20 students involved who will draw, construct and ultimately deliver this cabin,” Green said.
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