A graduate student of Algonquin high school in North Bay is praising the school’s Specialty High Skills Major program.
Gabrielle McDonald is now a nursing student at Nipissing University and says taking the high skills program when she was in Grade 11 and 12 has made her studies at Nipissing much easier.
“I acquired huge skill sets many people wouldn’t get in a regular high school class,” she said.
“I learned how to do vital signs and how to help people with reduced mobility.”
A major component of the high skills program is the co-op students take and although McDonald’s placement was with the Sisters of the Assumption, it did include workshops at the local hospital.
While at the Sisters of the Assumption, McDonald did personal support worker duties.
McDonald says being exposed to these different worksites not only prepared her personally for nursing at Nipissing, they also gave her the skills to help her peers at university.
McDonald highly recommends the high skills program because it helps steer students towards a career path.
“For students who don’t know what they want to do in the future, it’s a great way to explore what you like and don’t like,” she said.
McDonald says many of her former high school classmates also took the high skills program and have now gone on to study the different sciences and health programs at various universities.
“Most of the people I was in the program with, really enjoyed the experience as well,” she said.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything negative about the program.”
McDonald graduated from the Health and Wellness program at Algonquin.
It’s one of three programs offered at the school with the other two being Business and Arts and Culture.
The Arts and Culture component was officially launched this week.
