Burnaby, British Columbia — A recent report from Burnaby High School in Burnaby, British Columbia, indicates increasing numbers of students joining a trade apprenticeship program, with enrollment having increased by 11 percent from last year.
The program, Youth Work in Trades, allows high school students in grades 11 and 12 at Burnaby High School to work and train in a trade during their last two years of school.
Additionally, students who can maintain a high academic standing during their program and complete the requirements for their training can receive a $1,000 grant. This grant can then be used towards buying new equipment for their trade or to further their education or training.
The school district’s website notes that students who join the program complete 480 hours of paid work and earn 16 graduation credits. While most apprenticeship programs take three to four years, participating students instead complete the first level of training during high school.
As outlined by the Penticton Herald, Nick Christofides, director of instruction, Safe and Caring Schools, commented that the school district created this program in response to a labour shortage forecast in the early 2000s.
The Penticton Herald also noted that the program started as the ACE-IT Program in 2005 and provided training in four trades programs, including automotive service technician. From here, the program has grown to provide opportunities in 25 trades, with Christofides hoping to add more in the future.
The majority of the programs currently offered are Industry Training Authority (ITA) red-seal trades.
“Over the last five years, [enrollment] has consistently grown from the 150 to the 180 range up to around 300 for this year,” Christofides further highlighted.
The Penticton Herald added that the program’s enrollment numbers this year saw an 11 percent increase from the 270 enrolled last year.
For more information, click here, or check out the Youth Work in Trades program website.
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