Lower Mainland School Districts Receive Trades Training Funding for High School Apprenticeship Programs Students in grades 10-12 get an opportunity to earn while they learn skilled trades.
Submitted. Lower Mainland school districts will receive $500,000 from the Industry Training Authority (ITA) to support the Youth Work in Trades Programs for the 2017-18 school year. This funding will be used across the region to support youth apprentices in their communities (see backgrounder).
Youth Work in Trades is a dual credit program that provides an opportunity for BC students in grades 10, 11 and 12 to begin their apprenticeship journey. The funds support school districts in connecting students with local employers to attain practical experience. Students will earn a pay cheque while gaining credit toward their high school diploma and the work-based training portion of their trades apprenticeship. An apprenticeship is a combination of on-the-job and classroom training and typically takes four years to complete.
“I want everyone throughout the Lower Mainland and across British Columbia to have the opportunity to experience the transformative effect that educationand skills training can have on a person,” saysMelanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. “By continuing to invest in ITA Youth in Trades programs, we are supporting the future builders of our strong, sustainable and innovative economy. Our government will continue to take a people-focused approach to build a better BC for all British Columbians.”
“The world is changing and BC parents need to know we are preparing young people to succeed for life beyond school, and providing training options outside of the university post-secondary pathway,” saysChristine Klar, ITA Apprenticeship Advisor, Vancouver. “This funding provides practical experience for students entering the trades and will help prepare them for the job market.”
ITA partners with the Ministry of Education to deliver ITA Youth Trades Programs to provide BC students with the opportunity to Discover, Explore, Train and Work in the trades during their school years. The programs provide students with a cohesive and streamlined path from early learning straight through to apprenticeship and into the workforce.
- Discover the Trades provide hands-on opportunities for students to try-a-trade, learn about trades and build projects using design thinking as early as grade 5.
- Explore the Trades gives students a chance to explore different trades in grades 10-12. Students gain practical skills and complete work certifications that trades employers are looking for.
- Train in Trades is a dual credit program for grades 11-12 that allows students to earn credits towards high school graduation and first level of technical training towards a trades certificate.
- Work in Trades is a dual credit program for grades 10-12 that allows students to earn credits towards high school graduation and also begin the paid work-based training component of an apprenticeship.
About the Industry Training Authority
The Industry Training Authority (ITA) leads and coordinates British Columbia’s skilled trades system. ITA works with employers, employees, industry, labour, training providers and government to fund training, issue credentials, support apprenticeships, set program standards and increase opportunities in the trades. itabc.ca
Backgrounder
The overall funding for ITA’s Youth Trades Training programs across the province in 2017-18 is $7.56M.
For the ITA Youth Work in Trades Programs, ITA is investing $500,000 in 2017-18 in the following 15 Lower Mainland school districts:
Abbotsford (SD 34) $40,000
Burnaby (SD 41) $40,000
Chilliwack (SD 33) $30,000
Coquitlam (SD 43) $40,000
Delta (SD 37) $40,000
Fraser-Cascade (SD 78) $20,000
Langley (SD 35) $40,000
Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows (SD 42) $40,000
Mission (SD 75) $30,000
New Westminster (SD 40) $30,000
Richmond (SD 38) $40,000
Sunshine Coast (SD46) $20,000
Surrey (SD 36) $20,000
Vancouver (SD 39) $40,000
West Vancouver (SD 45) $30,000