Province challenges business to train next generation.

Ontario Education Minister Gerard Kennedy wants business leaders to get involved in educating young people.

The province intends to increase co-operative work placement programs for high school students as a way to keep them interested in learning.

"With the kids who are struggling, it (placements) really makes a difference to whether they stay in school," he told about 100 people at a joint Rotary Club and Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce luncheon March 20.

"We'll be able to excite students on a pretty broad basis (with placements), but we need the places for them to go. That could be in the private, public or community sector."

Many students are dropping out because they are bored with what they're learning, said Kennedy.

Taking in students and teaching them a trade is good for business, said the minister.

"I was at a space technology firm where within two or three years they are going to have all of their employees who came to them through a co-op at a local high school, who then became apprentices, and then they became highly skilled technicians," Kennedy said.

"Those kind of relationships are valuable to businesses. To businesses that haven't been offering as much training, this is a challenge for them to do that."

Right now, about 45,000 students drop out of Ontario high schools each year, said Kennedy. That's equivalent to a city the size of Timmins.

"People who don't get high school are five times as likely to need social assistance. Eight out of 10 people in provincial jails haven't acquired high school," he said.

The expansion of work placement programs is one part of the government's $1.3-billion Student Success program, which is designed to provide more learning opportunities and to increase the graduation rate.

Students will also have access to "specialist" diplomas where they will learn about arts, business, information technology and construction and manufacturing.

They can also earn several work credits toward a diploma through college university and apprenticeship courses.

By 2010, the government hopes to graduate 85 per cent of high school students, up from 68 per cent in 2003 and 71 per cent in 2004-2005.

The government has also announced it will introduce legislation that will keep students in school until they are 18. Since the early 1950s Ontario teens have had to attend classes until age 16.

"This is the controversial part. We're actually going to say to earn your driver's licence, you have to be in school or be learning. That's the important thing," he said.

"We're saying that one part of that privilege is that you need to stay on course."

www.edu.gov.on.ca

By HEIDI ULRICHSEN

For Northern Ontario Business