When an educational/community relations opportunity came up through the Hamilton and Oshawa Port Authority, which are working with the Industry Education Council of Hamilton about promoting careers in the skilled trades to primary and secondary students, Handling Specialty was excited to participate.
Working with a company called Edge Factor which creates educational video content specific to these industries for a variety of age groups, Handling Specialty lets them into their Hamilton plant to interview and shoot footage of the work going on and people in the trades. The Industry Education Council of Hamilton champion career exploration. Through programming, group mentoring and facilitating partnership discussions, they help their stakeholders showcase their industry or sector to their future workforce. The council creates content that will be used by local school boards and high school students trying to graduate in these unique circumstances amid the coronavirus pandemic and decide on post-secondary education.
In place of physical workplace tours, which the students would normally take, businesses like Handling Specialty welcome a videographer on-site to film a virtual tour. Pete VanderZalm, Handling’s Installation Specialist, took Edge Factor for a tour through the plant, explaining product and application uses for what Handling Specialty manufactures like MGVs and AGVs, while Mike Collins, a young Millwright, offered his experience working in the trades.
When the video is complete, Handling Specialty will announce and link to the full video to reach as many people interested in a career in the trades as possible.
