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DCDSB students have been participating in OYAP and OYAP Level 1 Programs. Learn more about their experiences below.
| Cassidy, Student at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School: OYAP Level 1 Hair Program |
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I was so thrilled last June when I heard of my acceptance into the Level 1 OYAP Hair program at Durham Hairstylist Academy. I am currently enrolled this semester, and from only attending the program since February, I can most definitely say this was the best decision for me. Not only do you learn about the basics of hair, like health and safety, you get hands on experience, on both straight and curly hair mannequins. Sometimes even working on your classmates hair as well. This isn’t a typical classroom setting, it’s “divided” into two sections. First section is the working/learning section, we have big group tables, that multiple students can sit at. The rest of the classroom is a salon like setting, we have a salon chair and mirror at each work station. There’s a colour room, hair wash station, etc. We get our own mannequins, textbook, basic hair tools, and much more. If you are questioning choosing hair for your post-secondary pathway, this program is a great opportunity! Or even when deciding what to take next year for your electives, pick the 4-credit co-op course and apply for the OYAP hair program. Even if you’re a student who would rather be working and learning hands on than sit at a desk for hours, apply for the program. The teachers at the academy are so kind and genuine, you can tell their end goal is to make all the attending students, amazing stylists just like themselves.
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| Romas, Student St. Mary Catholic Secondary School: OYAP Level 1 Plumbing Program |
Throughout my continuous journey in the Accelerated OYAP Plumbing program, I have exceeded my learning and working potential. The program has dipped many young students' feet in the water of the life of a trade's person, but I feel like I have been fully submerged. Between balancing education at high school, Durham College, and the life of a worker, there is ample time to learn and succeed. I have been given this great opportunity, the same one many before me have been given, and it truly is a wonderful experience. I will be forever grateful for the chance I have to further my learning and working habits in the Accelerated OYAP Plumbing Program. I have started my apprenticeship journey through this program and look forward to continuing after graduation.
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| Anthony, Student at All Saints Catholic Secondary School: OYAP Placement at East Side Mario's |
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Hello, my name is Anthony and I am in Grade 11 at All Saints Catholic Secondary School. I chose East Side Mario’s Restaurant in Whitby, as my OYAP placement to gain work experience in a service industry. I wanted to use this opportunity to gain some knowledge on how placements work, to learn important skills needed in the kitchen and to create a few dishes. This placement also allowed me to learn about how jobs work for when I need to find and acquire a job in the future. My placement had more hands-on tasks such as preparing meals and cleaning stations in the kitchen. One unexpected success that I achieved was that I could cook a good parmesan chicken! I even got complements from Mark who told me how well I seasoned the chicken. What I will take from this experience is how I look forward to doing other jobs. East Side Mario’s gave me the chance to understand that everyone starts somewhere when placed in a new job and that there is always someone willing to help you get better. The staff was always kind to help me and taught me that whatever mistakes you make, rather than focusing on that one mistake, you can learn from it and continue to improve. I would like to thank Mark for taking me on as an OYAP student even in these times, Mike for telling me to be more confident when trying anything, and Chef Chris for showing me discipline and respect, and all the other employers for being there for me.
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| Alyssa, Student at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School: OYAP Level 1 Carpentry Program |
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I've been really enjoying the OYAP program and I am proud of all the new skills that I've already developed. Although the program only started a couple of months ago, I'm surprised at the amount of things that I've learned so far. Being able to completely focus on this career path without other school subjects distracting me was one of the best decisions that I've made and would highly recommend it because the program is already paid for and is really good to put on a resume, even if you don't go into that specific career.
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Cedrick, Student at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School: OYAP Level 1 Cook Program
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Cedrick is a Grade 12 student at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School enrolled in the OYAP Level 1 Cook Program. The photo below is taken at Durham College. Cedrick completed his placement at KB Food in Whitby.
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Jarone and Princewill, Students at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School: OYAP Placement at Canadian Tire
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Jarone and Princewill are Grade 12 students at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School enrolled in Cooperative Education/OYAP at Canadian Tire Ajax Service Department.
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Keith, Student at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School: OYAP Placement at Durham BMW
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Keith is a Grade 12 student at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School enrolled in Cooperative Education/OYAP. Keith completed his placement at Durham BMW in Ajax.
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