Former trades students are working full-time for a good wage and give high marks for their training experience in the latest B.C. Apprenticeship Student Outcomes Survey.

"Feedback from former students is important as it tells us whether or not we are doing a good job in delivering trades training," said Advanced Education Minister Amrik Virk. "Students are telling us that they are receiving high-quality apprenticeship training that's helping them to get jobs in their chosen trade and get a paycheque in their back pocket."

Every year the survey collects information from former students who have completed the final year of their apprenticeship training in a B.C. post-secondary institution.

Former students are asked to rate the quality of their in-school and workplace training and describe their post-training employment experience on their journey to becoming automotive mechanics, carpenters, electricians, industrial and heavy duty mechanics, professional cooks, construction workers, plumbers, welders and other skilled trades.

"My decision to go to school for my trade was the best decision I've ever made," said Tyler Simpson, who completed his training in joinery at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in May 2013 and now is working for a cabinet-making firm in Chilliwack. "My apprenticeship training at BCIT, and with my employer, gave me the skills and experience I needed to find a job and pursue my dream of making hand-crafted furniture. It has helped me turn things around and given me a steady paycheque, a positive career outlook and great hope for the future."

Here are some of the highlights of the 2012 survey:

• 3,701 former students who finished their apprenticeship program provided feedback.

Training:

• 95 per cent of respondents said they were very satisfied or satisfied with their in-school training.
• 85 per cent said the quality of instruction for their in-school training was very good or good.
• 90 per cent of respondents with workplace experience said they were very satisfied or satisfied with their overall workplace training.
• 90 per cent said their in-school training was very related or somewhat related to their workplace experience.
• 94 per cent said their training was very useful or somewhat useful to them in preparing to write the certification exam.

Employment:

• The median age for all respondents was 27.
• 96 per cent of respondents were in the labour force (employed or looking for work).
• 87 per cent were employed.
• 97 per cent of employed respondents were working full-time.
• 80 per cent of employed respondents took less than one month to find a job.
• $28 was the median hourly wage of respondents who were employed at the time of the survey.

"These are excellent results and I can't overstate the value of the linkages between training and employment," said Manley McLachlan, president of the British Columbia Construction Association. "With the shortage of skilled workers and the volume of construction projects on the horizon, B.C. apprentices need great experiences and solid training. These results - including the high employment rates and starting wages - will help attract more young people to the trades."

Information gathered for the survey is used by B.C.'s post-secondary institutions, the Industry Training Authority, and the Ministry of Advanced Education to monitor the effectiveness of the trades training system, review programs and curriculum, and assist prospective students with career decisions.

To read or download the 2012 Apprenticeship Student Outcomes Survey visit: http://outcomes.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/APPSO/APPSOPublications.aspx

Media Contact:

Dan Gilmore
Ministry of Advanced Education
250 952-6400
dan.gilmore@gov.bc.ca