Preparing For September - An Addition to the "Checklist" of Your Important Tasks (Health & Safety Training)

Good Evening B.Ed Professional Program Students,

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING EMAIL CAREFULLY.

With the start of our B.Ed Professional Program classes just around the corner (Tuesday September 8th, 2015), we thought it important to remind you of the important tasks we have asked you to complete over the last few months, to be prepared for the year ahead.

Although not an exhaustive list - You will find that the below list highlights some of the more crucial tasks that must be tended to, to get off to a great start:

(A formal email communication has been previously communicated about each one of these tasks, having been sent to your LU email account.)

1. Secure your Police Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Screening (PRC/VSS) 
2. Make photocopies of all of your documentation while keeping your originals safe 
3. Complete your 1 Step TB Skin Test 
4. Submit your Online Placement Preference Form
5. Prepare/ Study for the Math Competency Exam
6. Register for Your Assigned Classes
7. Arrange for Payment of your Tuition
8. Secure your Ministry of Education Curriculum Documents
9. Print your Book List and make your Textbook purchases
10. Obtain your Lakehead Student ID Card
11. Secure a Parking Permit through the City of Orillia, for downtown municipal parking lots

We now have an addition to this task list:

      12. Health and Safety Training (mandatory for ALL students, both NEW and RETURNING)

Health & Safety Training:

Many of you may already be familiar with this training, as you probably had to complete it for employment purposes.  

You may be able to use the same certificate if it was the Ministry of Labour Training - just check the web link below, outlining current school board requirements to determine if your school board has anything in addition.  Have the training completion certificate on hand when you enter a school - if you no longer have the certificate you may have to complete the training again.

You may not be able to proceed to your placement without successfully fulfilling this requirement of your partnership school board of choice.

Your Steps To Complete The Necessary Training:

• Visit our website, where you will find a chart of partnership school board health & safety requirements:  http://education.lakeheadu.ca/?display=page&pageid=339 
• Complete the training as specified by your Fall partnership school board (if you are selecting two different boards please note that you may be required to complete the training twice,  if each school board has different requirements)
• Once the training is completed, print the certificate (several copies are recommended)
• Have a copy of the completion certificate ready to present when you enter your host school for your placement (along with the other board required documentation) 
• You may also be required to submit the certificate of completion to the partnership school board prior to placement - this will be specified in the chart of instructions, available on our website.

When Do I Have to Have This Training Completed?

• All training is recommended to have been completed prior to September, as September is quite hectic and some of the training is quite lengthy.

Is There Any Other Recommended Training I should Complete?

It is also highly recommended to complete training for the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). This training can be found here: http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/learning/working-together-code-and-aoda 

AND ALSO;

The training for Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHIMIS). This training can be found here: https://mycourselink.lakeheadu.ca (Lakehead login required)

Why Is This Training Required?

Brief Background:

In 2014, the government passed Bill 18, Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act, 2014, which amended (among other things) the definition of a “worker” under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to include university students who undertake unpaid work placements as part of their academic program. Due to their new classification as “workers” under the bill, students who undertake placements are required to have the same occupational health and safety training as would an employee of the organization where they are placed.

We do not yet have their requirements for training for some school boards indicated on the chart available on our website. 

We are following up with those specific school boards and will update the website as soon as the information is obtained.

In the meantime, we ask that each of you please complete the AODA and WHIMIS training (links included above) and frequently check the Health & Safety Requirements link on our website, for your preferred school board's updated training requirements.

It will be important to frequently monitor your LU email for any important updates that might be circulated