How Trade Up Summer Camp Ignited New Passions for the Trades
Sometimes, the real success of a program isn’t shown by a KPI. It’s when a parent comes in and asks what you did to their child.
That’s what happened at the Middleton stop of the Automotive Sector Council’s Trade Up Summer Camp this summer. One camper had never really been interested in the automotive industry and had hardly used any tools before. But when his mother came to the Friday Trades Showcase to see what he’d done all week, she pulled a staff member aside and asked, “What did you do to my son?”
She explained that after his first day at camp, he came home and right away started taking apart the lawnmower engine to see how it worked. It might seem like a small thing, but this kind of curiosity is exactly what the Automotive Sector Council’s programs are meant to inspire. Hands-on experiences can turn “I’ve never thought about the trades” into real interest, sometimes in just one afternoon. At another camp, a participant who wasn’t sure what she wanted to do when she grew up spent the week learning about different trades and careers. Her mother later emailed camp staff to say the experience had helped her daughter figure out her path – she now wants to become a mechanic.
These moments matter for more than just the students themselves. This year was the first time Trade Up Summer Camp welcomed Grade 10 and 11 participants. Now, the Automotive Sector Council can better see which campers are ready to move into programs like TestDrive. This creates a stronger, more connected path from a curious camper to someone in a paid work placement. It’s another reason these camps are a great investment.
If you want to learn more about how camp participants can move into programs like TestDrive or Rural Routes, contact the Automotive Sector Council. We’re always happy to connect and share information about future opportunities as they come up.