Careers
Our students will succeed in a much different future from the one we envisioned 10 or 15 years ago. It is our responsibility to prepare all children for success in whatever life path they choose, connecting learning opportunities with future career possibilities. We know that real-life experiences - like community involvement, gaining business knowledge, and hands-on-learning - build better students and life-long citizens.
Recently, AVS' grade 6-12 Fusion students attended a guest speaker presentation about "Careers in the Greenhouse Sector," by Gary Jones, Program Manager of the BC Greenhouse Growers' Association.
While you might think of common jobs in greenhouses, such as planting, watering, and harvesting, Mr. Jones shared with our students other careers in this sector. For every one on-farm job, there are ten spin-off roles in careers areas such as Biology and Plant Science, Business and Economics, Computer Science, Electrical and Mechanical, Food and Health Science, and Construction.
Did you know that there are 28,000 unfilled positions in this sector, Canada-wide? This presents an excellent opportunity for potential careers, and NOW is great time to start thinking toward the future in terms of post-secondary options, and high school courses that are required for entry into these programs.
Some highlights that Mr. Jones shared with students are that:
- drones are used to fly over crops to identify plant diseases
- insects are used to eat pests (instead of spraying crops with chemicals to treat them)
- bees are used to pollinate plants in greenhouses. At the end of the day they return to their "bee-box" for a rest. They are attracted back to their box as they can sense their queen bee in the box.
- robots built in the Netherlands are used to harvest some crops and transport them to the packing house for distribution. This is done entirely free of human involvement.
- employers are looking for employees who are willing to work, and have either a diploma or a degree in a related field.
If you are interested in finding out more information, visit the bcgreenhouse.ca website, or get in touch with Gary Jones at gary@bcgreenhouse.ca
If you have questions about high school courses you may need for careers in this industry, come see or email Mrs. Nairn in counselling at AVS.
Corinna Nairn
School Counsellor and Career Facilitator
Abbotsford Virtual School
