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Exploring Education Planning Topics
British Columbia's Secondary and Post-secondary Systems & Provincial Apprentices
The BC public secondary and post-secondary systems offer many educational opportunities that support BC's apprenticeship programs. As well apprenticeship education can be arranged through private institutions. Outlined below are three ways to access apprenticeship training through the public education system.
1. Access For Secondary School Students
Secondary School Apprenticeship (SSA) is a standard apprenticeship program that combines workplace-based training with specific technical training in an institutional setting. While in secondary school, students accumulate 480 hours of workplace-based training that applies towards the requirements for an apprenticeship.
Detailed information about SSA can be obtained from BC's Industry Training Authority.
Also your individual school district's website may be able to provide SSA information specific to the school district you are attending. For example, http://www.vsb.bc.ca/programs/careerprog/CareerProg/SSAP.htm is the Vancouver School Board's SSA information site.
We encourage you to check directly with your school district to find the SSA program that works best for you.
2. Access For Young Adults & Mature Learners
The Provincial Apprenticeship Program is a formal written agreement between an employer, an employee and the Province of BC. The length of time it takes to complete an apprenticeship varies depending on the trade. Apprenticeships combine workplace-based training with classroom-based training held at many BC institutes, colleges and universities. On completion of both the college course work and the workplace-based training, learners qualify to write the Interprovincial Standards Exam for their trade.
Learners can arrange to take a pre-apprenticeship program (sometimes called Entry Level Trades Training or ELTT) from one of the BC post-secondary institutions. Pre-apprenticeship programs do not guarantee access to a formal apprenticeship, but they provide learners with the skills necessary for workplace-based training. In addition, pre-apprenticeship programs may provide credit towards the college credit portion of the apprenticeship. Learners are strongly recommended to contact BC's Industry Training Authority (ITA) at http://www.itabc.ca to verify the number of credits that their training may provide towards their total apprenticeship requirements.
Education Planner provides detailed information about pre-apprenticeship programs. To find these programs simply do a Pre-apprenticeship Program Search from the Education Planner Home Page, Apprenticeship section.
Alternatively, Learners can arrange apprenticeships directly with employers and the Province of BC. It is important to contact ITA to ensure the correct procedures are followed. Additional information about ITA is located at http://www.itabc.ca.
3. Access to Educational Programs for Apprentices
Listed below are the individual public post-secondary institutions that offer the college course work required for an apprenticeship. We recommend all students, including apprentices who have already arranged an apprenticeship with an employer and who have confirmed their apprenticeship arrangement with ITA, contact the apprenticeship coordinator or counsellor at the post-secondary institution to confirm program application procedures, requirements and schedules.
On Education Planner's home page there is a Pre-Apprenticeship Search Filter. Detailed information about pre-apprenticeships or Entry Level Trades Training (ELTT) can be obtained from: Pre-apprenticeship.