It's a gift that will keep on giving to the Peacock Collegiate welding department. The Moose Jaw high school was awarded a ten year, $50,000 grant from the Canadian Welding Association (CWA) Foundation and Marinucci Family Foundation (MFF) on Tuesday.

"Through the generous gift of the MFF, we are able to offer Albert E. Peacock Collegiate with the funds to provide their students with a better quality learning experience within their welding program," said Deborah Mates, executive director of the CWA Foundation. "It is our objective to grow this model program by encouraging other individuals, corporations and industry partners to look within their own communities to support their local secondary school welding program."

"The MFF, a Canadian charity established in 2010, is committed to funding programs that significantly improve youth education. We are excited to partner with the CWA Foundation to significantly enhance secondary school welding programs across Canada," said John Marinucci, founder and chairman of the MFF. 

Peacock's welding instructor Martin Holzer says the money will expand the equipment and technology available, while giving them some budget breathing room. 

"We can start upgrading some of our equipment to the new technology (like) inverters," said Holzer. "We can also proceed on consumables...more steel (and) more supplies for the kids.  So that's going to alleviate some of the (financial) pressure."

Holzer says they have about 150 students in the welding class at Peacock every year, which is offered to Grades 10-12, though Holzer says they have "started a Survey program in Grade 9...about 25 hours that gets the students some (experience with) tools...and learn safety."

Holzer says not only is welding a usefull skill, but the program is a tremendous way to groom students for a career, explaining "the way this program was developed is that kids could actually get their equivalence of a Level 1 welding (certificate) in high school. The apprenticeship board has recognized that so that if kids take the (Peacock) welding program all four years, they can claim 400 hours towards their apprenticeship, which is a big advantage when they're stepping out into the job market."

The welding program has a long history at A.E. Peacock, with Holzer saying that "when the school opened it was actually opened as 'Peacock Tech". At that point they had high school during the day, and then evening classes because SIAST was not in place at that time.  They did a lot of their training for a lot of the trades after school hours."

Holzer added that in addition to the $50,000, CWA also chipped in a complete class set of welding helmets, worth $250 each, which Holzer says is "something we couldn't afford previously."

 

Peacock has offered a welding program since the school opened in the 30s, and current welding instructor Martin Holzer says it's a tremendous way to groom students for a career.

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Holzer says the grant money will allow them to buy much-needed new welding equipment. CWA also provided new protective helmets for the students.

New welding equipment and new protective helmets will be coming soon to the welding classes at Peacock.

The Moose Jaw high school just received a 50-thousand dollar grant, paid over 10 years, from the Canadian Welding Association.

Every year about 150 students from Grades 10-12 take welding at Peacock, continuing the program's long history at the school, according to welding instructor Martin Holzer.

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Holzer says that Grade 9 students can also spend a few hours per semester gaining an introduction to the course.