As a community newspaper that generally tries to ‘name names’ in its editorial spaces whenever possible, it’s somewhat difficult for the Picton Gazette to not properly fete the individual who stepped up to the plate and offered a pair of $10,000 scholarships to be presented annually to Prince Edward Collegiate Institute graduates attending a Canadian post-secondary institution for the Trades The scholarships will be administered by The County Foundation and more information can be found on Page 13 of today’s newspaper.

At $20,000 total, The County Trades Scholarship will be the largest annual scholarship currently administered by The Foundation and a total of two scholarships will be awarded- one selected through the County Foundation application process and one through an internal PECI process guided by teacher and faculty nomination- to a graduating Panther each June.

This is an incredible kickstarter for post-secondary students quite likely to funnel back to the Prince Edward County community and work in industries that pay well and are in desperate need of skilled workers. Any local resident trying to build a house or orchestrate a renovation in Prince Edward County can attest to the dire need of electricians, plumbers, carpenters, HVAC techs, welders, masons, etc.

Almost any tradesperson of any stripe in line at a local coffee shop will answer the question “Workin’ hard or hardly working?” with a snort and a “I’m a lot busier than I want or need to be!” as they collect a tray of coffees and scurry off to another job site. A total of one out of every five job openings in the province of Ontario are projected to be in the skilled trades by 2026 and the provincial apprenticeship program ensures 85 to 90 per cent of that work is paid employment.

Despite declining enrollment and less and less capital through the Grants for Student Needs and other Ministry of Education revenue streams, PECI continues to be the little engine that could in terms of secondary schools in the Hastings & Prince Edward District School Board. The number of Ontario Scholars that have excelled in the class room and are awarded entrance scholarships at Canadian Universities is astonishing when the list is presented at graduation and those Panthers tend to get the lion’s share when it comes to the expansive awards, scholarship and bursaries that are presented each June.

After four years of study at PECI,  those university-bound folks are on track to travel to cities all over Canada and depart on a post-secondary educational stream that will most likely lead to careers in non-rural areas. But for the PECI graduates wanting to hang around Prince Edward County and build a life and family here, a skilled trade should provide them with the means necessary to realize that dream.

These generalities are not set in stone. A local could pursue a university degree and put it to use here as a teacher or business leader. A PECI alum could satisfy their apprenticeship hours and take off for the Canadian north and make double what they would tooling around the island.

But now there are major financial incentives for PECI Panthers who want to drive nails, turn wrenches and wire panels and hopefully do it in Prince Edward County. And for that, anonymous donor, this community thanks you.

-Jason Parks

PICTURING OUR COMMUNITY

Prince Edward County resident Dan Loader is the coach of the HDAC (Hockey Association for the Developmentally Challenged) Gladiators based in Toronto and he will bring his junior and senior teams to Picton Saturday afternoon to play with friends and family from the community as well as the Picton Pirates. The teams are comprised primarily of players with Down Syndrome and Autism, but other challenges as well and range in ages from 8 -58. The club plays Hockey Canada and USA Hockey tournaments all over North America and Saturday’s event gets underway at 2 p.m. at Huff Estates Arena in Picton (HDAC-Gladiators.org)