Teachers Recognized During Education Week
Teachers who prepare Nova Scotia's youth for the workforce were recognized today, April 16, at an Education Week awards ceremony. Premier Rodney MacDonald and Education Minister Karen Casey were on hand to celebrate Education Week and recognize recipients.
The theme for Education Week 2007, April 15 to 21, is Skills and Learning: Building our future/Compétences et apprentissage: Bâtissons notre avenir! Twenty-eight educators and partner representatives from across the province received Education Week Awards.
"On behalf of the province I congratulate all award recipients for their dedication to Nova Scotia's youth," said Premier MacDonald. "Their work in preparing students to assume their place in our economy is directly linked to the future prosperity of Nova Scotia."
This year's Education Week theme reflects the changing nature of Nova Scotia's labour market and workplace. Nova Scotia has a rapidly aging workforce and a declining birthrate. In addition, most Western countries are experiencing skills shortages.
"Now, more than ever before, Nova Scotia depends on a highly-skilled, resourceful workforce to meet labour market challenges," said Ms. Casey. "Government, school boards, educators, parents, the business community and others are partnering to help students make more informed decisions about post-secondary education and careers."
Programs like apprenticeship training, co-operative education and Options and Opportunities are an important part of this preparation. The educators involved are forming strong partnerships with the business community to create more opportunities for students to gain real workplace experience
Greg Selig is one of those educators. A 2007 Education Week award winner, Mr. Selig currently co-ordinates the Options and Opportunities program at New Germany High School. Options and Opportunities is a new program that focuses on career development and matches students with qualified employers to give them opportunities to gain workplace experience. Mr. Selig also directs the school's Co-operative Education program.
"Through the Options and Opportunities program, we take the resources available in our communities to help our students expand their world and their skill sets," said Mr. Selig. "My students are definitely seeing the value of that."
Education Week is a co-operative effort of five education partners -- the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, the Nova Scotia School Boards Association, the Nova Scotia Federation of Home and School Associations, la Fédération des parents acadiens de la Nouvelle-Écosse and the Nova Scotia Department of Education. The Teachers Plus Credit Union has been the exclusive corporate sponsor of the event since 2003.
Education Week has been celebrated in Nova Scotia since the 1930s.