​On Monday, May 28, 2012, students from Bishop P.F. Reding Catholic Secondary School joined the Halton Industry Education Council (HIEC) at Habitat for Humanity Halton’s first ever Youth Build Day.

The eager student volunteers were on site to help build a single family home for a mother and her children - the first Habitat for Humanity project in the Town of Milton.

In addition to helping a family in need, this opportunity also gave the students a hands-on learning experience in the construction industry. They got to spend the entire day on a fully-functioning building site alongside other professional contactors and tradespersons.

“I am here today because this is a good cause and I like doing construction work,” said Jordan, a student from Bishop P. F. Reding Catholic Secondary School. “This is a great learning experience for all of us and it is good to give back.”

With professional guidance and supervision, students helped measure and cut subfloor, put down laminate flooring, and install kitchen cabinets. The hands-on work made for a valuable learning experience.

“This is a really good experience for people who are interested in going into construction,” said Jason, another student volunteer from Bishop P. F. Reding Catholic Secondary School. “It’s really fun and the Habitat volunteers are really good with helping us with everything – it’s not like you are learning by yourself.”

Experiential opportunities like this one have become an important part of the high school curriculum for thousands of students. Together with both Halton school boards, HIEC works to increase employer involvement in the learning process. Today, there are over 100 specialized programs being offered across the region that allow students to experience first-hand a career they might be interested in.