$20,000 in funding helps students in SD27 get foundation in trades

Courtesy of the BC Government Caucus:

Cariboo-Chilcotin’s School District #27 is one of 26 districts across B.C. that will receive funding from the Industry Training Authority (ITA) to continue the district’s Secondary School Apprenticeship (SSA) Program for the 2014/15 school year.

$20,000 will help fund the Cariboo Chilcotin’s SSA program, a dual-credit program that allows students who are 15 years of age and over, in Grades 10, 11, or 12, to begin the work-based training component of an apprenticeship program while still in high school. 

“Ensuring we have the right skills in place at the right time to create a highly skilled workforce throughout the province is a top priority,” said Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett. “With the growing demand for skilled trades people, it’s important B.C.’s young people are offered the opportunity to get the skills and training they need to get ahead.”

“Our government is delivering on our commitment outlined in the BC Skills and Jobs Blueprint to fund critical trades’ seats,” said Cariboo-North MLA Coralee Oakes. “This funding will continue to support British Columbians to be first in line and ready to take advantage of the one million new job openings expected in our province by 2022.”

Through SSA programs, students “earn while they learn”, receiving credit toward both a high school diploma and an apprenticeship. In 2013/14, there were 952 new students registered in SSA programs across BC, representing a 7.5 percent increase from the previous school year. As of October 31, 2014, there are a total of 1,732 youth apprentices registered in SSA programs in the province.

Finding an employer who will sponsor their apprenticeship is one of the biggest challenges facing youth looking for a career in the trades. Today’s ITA funding will help school districts cover staffing costs that will support and guide youth through the B.C. apprenticeship system by helping them to secure jobs and employer sponsorship. This funding will also help youth transition from technical training to work-based training, and build further awareness of opportunities in the skilled trades among youth, parents, educators and employers in their communities. 

“Building a skilled workforce for the future depends on the youth of today,” says Erin Johnston, Director, Training Investment. “Our goal is to support the B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint objective and increase youth participation for continuing into apprenticeship and a skilled trades career by making sure we are providing the best support to youth along the apprenticeship pathway.”

ITA’s youth programs focus on awareness building, practical work experience, and apprenticeship technical training. For more information on the youth programs ITA offers, go to www.itabc.ca/youth.