Challenge 2025 - Good news buried - In the news

The Letters to the Editor section of The Hamilton Spectator on December 7, 2022 included a strong endorsement for the successful roll out of Challenge 2025.

Good news buried

We realize negative news sells. A recent edition included headlines: ‘Just happy to be alive,’ ‘Killer could get …’ and ‘Drug trafficking …’ Focusing on dismal happenings in our area, the message seems to be that crime and danger are everywhere.

However, I believe a significant number of us skip the gore and look for information on policy that impacts our lives and for some good news. There was a good news story that could have a broadly positive impact. This story, ‘Another Hamilton innovation wins’, about Mohawk College. The college, in co-operation with local businesses, is working to train people in the Code Red area of Hamilton to match local job openings. Just think of the potential to help people in need of a trade and Hamilton in need of tradespeople! This is a great news story. Where was it? Buried at the end of an editorial on another topic. This should have been on the front page.

Philip Davis, Hamilton

The editorial referenced is below: 

Another Hamilton innovation wins

Hamilton breeds great things. And that is not just boosterism.

Back in 2015, Mohawk College acted on what was exposed in The Spectator’s groundbreaking Code Red series, that neighbourhoods with higher rates of poverty have weaker education and health outcomes than more prosperous neighbourhoods.

It launched City School, a community-based schooling program targeting people with limited or no access to post-secondary education. For no charge, they can attend and graduate from job-oriented training programs, complete with wraparound supports designed to optimize their chances of success.

A key aspect of City School — it is demand-based. It matches people needing training with employers needing people. It has been brilliantly successful. So much so the college and its partners in 2019 launched a campaign to broaden City School’s application. More than 100 area employers are participating. Four colleges in other provinces have joined. Thousands of students have been helped. Mohawk and partners, take a well-deserved bow.