THURSDAY
S I N C E
1 8 9 5
JUNE 28, 2012 Vol. 117, Issue 125
Jays prep for Classic
110
$
Page 10
INCLUDING H.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF
ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALM SALMO
SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER
Jobs scarce for students BY BREANNE MASSEY Times Staff
Young workers looking to land jobs in Trail this summer could be hard pressed in light of the recent cancellation of the federal Hire-a-Student program. With workers between the ages of 15 to 24 now accounting for 30 per cent of unemployment within the province, according to the B.C. Federation of Labour, that number could climb higher given the cut. Data on the labour force recently revealed “In May and that the number of June, now it’s unemployed young dwindled, I people has increased by 30,000—an almost 20 think we only per cent increase—over have one or the last year. two student And as the summer progresses, employees jobs posted.” at the Skills Centre said JAIME MALCOLM competition for jobs is intense for some people in that age bracket—including many students— said Jaime Malcolm, the employment resource specialist for the Skills Centre. “In May and June now it’s dwindled, I think we only have one or two student jobs posted. And we haven’t seen a lot of students but we might get another little bump in July when the high-school students are done,” she said. Although federal funding for the Hire-aStudent program was recently cut, the Skills Centre reported it hasn’t seen a wide influx of changes on the local job front. “I think students who finished school at the end of April came here around mid-May and that’s usually when all of the jobs get posted,” said Malcolm. According to a recent CBC report, statistical data released earlier this month shows that the country’s total jobless rate currently sits at 7.4 per cent. But for those in the 15 to 24 age bracket, the figure is 14.7 per cent—27,000 fewer youths have jobs right now than at this time last year. But it’s not all gloom and doom. There are several options out there for students, unfortunately just not a one-to-one service, said Cheryl Gnyp, marketing coordinator at the Skills Centre in Trail. The Skills Centre offers online job postings spanning from Trail to Castlegar, self-serve computers with both a resume making program and career assessments, access to a photocopier and a phone, as well as workshops on resume writing, interview skills, and effective job searches. “And while many (students) use social media, they don’t use it for job searches,” said Gnyp.
See OTHER, Page 3
TIMOTHY SCHAFER PHOTO
There will be plenty of smiles all around district elementary schools today as classes wrap up and summer holidays begin. And for parents, only 68 more sleeps until classes return on Sept. 4.
Play-based learning helps develop young minds Full-day kindergarten wraps up first year BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER Times Staff
The play is the thing in School District 20. In fact, play is the newest thing, a modern interpretation on an age-old practice of teaching young people through play. A growing global movement amongst early childhood educators has touched down
in the Greater Trail region, spreading throughout School District 20 (Kootenay Lake). With the advent of provincially mandated, full-day kindergarten in 2011, the school district has begun to implement play-based learning, taking whole child development into consideration by involving domains of social, emotional, physical, aesthetic and language acquisition. At the end of the first year of full-day kindergarten, SD20
director of instruction Bill Ford said more than half of the kindergarten classrooms in the district are now well entrenched in the philosophy of play-based learning. “Play-based learning is hands on, trial and error, and the absolute best way for the early developing brain to learn,” said Ford. “It fosters a love of exploration and discovery, encourages natural curiousity, provides opportunities to make
Make the right choice. mortgages
home renovation loans
equity lines of credit
When you need to borrow money, Kootenay Savings is the right choice for so many reasons. Our Flexible Choice Mortgage and FlexLine LOC make it easy to manage your monthly payments, consolidate debt and get ahead. Let us show you how.
better. together.
kscu.com
sense of the world and sets children on the track for lifelong learning.” The combination of going a full day for kindergarten with play-based learning will have a significant impact on the start in life for the region’s young people, said Ford. Studies clearly show children who begin school with purposeful play as the basis for the curriculum are more advanced in reading and
See PLAY, Page 3
Contact the Times: Phone: 250-368-8551 Fax: 250-368-8550 Newsroom: 250-364-1242