A new regional pilot project could bring unlimited potential when it comes to connecting students with local careers, according to the Superintendent of Border Land School Division, Krista Curry.

The project includes Border Land School Division, Western School Division and Red River Valley School Division and will operate under the umbrella of the Red River Technical Vocational Area with the goal of offering students community work experiences. A Career Development Facilitator has been hired to lead the pilot, and Curry explained their job will be to seek out new and different opportunities outside of what's already offered in the RRTVA.

"There's lot of positions in health that kids don't have the chance to experience a day-in-the-life-of, or to find out information for," noted Curry.

She added that while the RRTVA offers an Esthetics course that allows students to learn how to become an Esthetician, it doesn't teach them how to own their own business however.

Curry further explained that this project is also meant, in part, to expand and streamline career development/internship programs already happening in area high schools. "It could one day include regional career fairs that don't focus on the Technical Vocational Area courses that we do such a good job of already," she added.

The first step for the new Career Development Facilitator will be to make connections with local business partners.



Curry added that because this program is operating under the RRTVA, the possibility is there to tap into transportation and other resources already in place to get students to various communities for this work experience. "That won't happen right away but that's part of the bigger vision," she said.