Today 14 high school students stood proudly by a two-storey house they are building while Education Minister Peter Fassbender made an announcement about a new trades course that will begin this fall.

As well, during the event, five Accelerated Credit Enrolment in Industry Training (ACE IT) students signed on as full-time, paid apprentices with employers on site. 

The Saanichton event was a great example of the new B.C.'s Skills for Jobs Blueprint: Re-engineering Education and Training, in action.  Announced last month, the blueprint is a comprehensive strategy to re-engineer B.C.’s education and apprenticeship systems.

As part of the blueprint, the new trades course Skills Exploration 10-12, will provide students with additional career options by giving them a head-start to hands-on learning, a key goal of the blueprint.  The second blueprint goal is to see a shift in education and training to better match jobs in demand.  The third goal is to build stronger partnerships with industry and labour to deliver training and apprenticeships.

Skills Exploration 10-12 is a semester-length course that will allow students to experience a variety of skilled trades while earning credit towards secondary school graduation.  The idea is to help students make smooth transitions into ACE IT or an appropriate post-secondary skills and trades program.

The new course was developed by the Ministry of Education in consultation with the Industry Training Authority (ITA) and B.C. educators. It is initially focused on the construction trades, including carpentry, plumbing and electrical training.  At a later date, it will be expanded to include occupations such as automotive services technicians and other high-demand jobs. The program guide is highly flexible, to provide districts the option to tailor the course to industry needs and opportunities in their area.  

(flickr.com)

Quotes:

Peter Fassbender, Minister of Education -

"This new course will introduce students to well-paid, in-demand trades while working towards their high school graduation. We know that the earlier young people find their passion for a future career the more likely they are to succeed."

Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour -

“The Skills Exploration course helps students explore a variety of trades so they can make educated choices about their futures. A key goal of B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint is to double the number of ACE-IT spaces to 5,000 over the next two years.  Giving students additional hands-on trades experience opportunities will help us accomplish this.”

Stu Rhodes, Career Councillor and Apprenticeship Co-ordinator -

"It is very impressive to witness what the Saanich ACE-IT Carpentry students have accomplished to date on this project.  We are especially proud to celebrate the signing of five apprentices to community based industry partners today.  I am hopeful that the newly unveiled Skills Exploration course will help encourage more young people to explore fulfilling, well-paying education and employment pathways in the skilled trades."

Quick Facts:

• Over the next decade there will be more than one million job openings in British Columbia, 43% of which are expected to be trades or technical occupations.
• This year, an estimated 134,000 grades 8-12 secondary students will take applied skills courses at B.C. public schools. These include programs such as welding, carpentry, hairdressing, culinary arts, construction trades, auto mechanics, drafting, and industrial/technology education.
• In partnership with the Ministry of Education and secondary schools, the Industry Training Authority delivers two youth dual credit programs: Accelerated Credit Enrolment in Industry Training (ACE IT) and/or Secondary School Apprenticeship (SSA).
  Participation in these two ITA youth programs was 4,324 students as of September 2013.
• The students building the house are registered participants in the ACE-IT program.

Learn More:

• For more information on B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint, visit: www.workbc.ca/skills
• To learn about BC’s Education Plan, visit: www.bcedplan.ca

Media Contacts:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Education
250 356-5963