Wednesday, February 12th, 2025

About 20 years ago, a Grade 11 Stayner Collegiate Institute student named Todd Patton took a job with Stayner Hydro for one semester, which led to a summer position with the Town of Stayner. From there, he started working in Public Works.

Today, Patton (pictured on home page) is the Manager of Water/Sewer at the Township of Clearview.

“[Being a student employee] opened my eyes to what went on in the municipal world,” he said. “At the time, I didn’t know what to pursue as a career, but it turned out I liked the work.”

For students who would like to have an experience like Patton, Friday, February 7 is the last day to apply for an array of job opportunities with the Township – including a Student Water/Sewer Operator.

“It’s a great opportunity to learn about all different aspects of public works and see what goes on in other departments,” explained Patton. “You get a good feel of what operators actually do.”

Patton said that “quite a few” of his co-workers in the Public Works department got their start working for the Township through their high school co-op programs. He added that a number of the Department’s summer students have moved on to careers in water/sewer at the Town of Collingwood and the Ministry of the Environment.

The jobs, which are funded by the Township with grants from the Ministry of Rural Affairs and the Ontario Trillium Foundation, encompass everything from Life Guards to Student Grounds Maintenance Workers, Student Heritage Technologist and Student Fire Department Assistant.

“Funds will go towards organizations throughout the municipality, aiming to increase community involvement, especially that of youth,” said Pavlina Thompson, Clearview’s Manager of Human Resources.

Last year, Clearview expanded its opportunities for students by including five new jobs in the Planning and Recreation departments. This year, the number of positions for students remains stable at 19.

“Student positions are a wonderful opportunity to acquire experience and prepare for the working world,” said Thompson. “They teach students so much about life, responsibility and working with coworkers in a harmonious way – even if the job isn’t in exactly what you want to pursue as a lifetime career. It also provides excellent exposure to municipal jobs and may perhaps spark an interest for future municipal careers.”

To apply for the positions, students must be at least 16 and have a social insurance number, be legally allowed to work in Canada, be enrolled in a full-time post-secondary program and plan to return to full-time studies in September 2014.

For more information, visit “employment opportunities” at www.clearview.ca.

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