Apprenticeships

Secondary School Apprenticeship (SSA) is a career program that provides students with the opportunity to begin their apprenticeship training while attending high school. A Secondary School Apprentice is:

• 15 years of age or older
• Working in a paid, part time opposition in an apprenticable trade (go to www.itabc.ca for a list of apprenticable trades in B.C.)
• Under the supervision of an experienced worker
• Registered with the Industry Training Authority (ITA). 

The student will receive 4 credits towards graduation for every 120 hours completed on the job site, to a maximum of 16 credits or 480 hours. Four credits will be given for each of:

• Secondary School Apprenticeship 11A (SSA11A)
• Secondary School Apprenticeship 11B (SSA11B)
• Secondary School Apprenticeship 12A (SSA12A)
• Secondary School Apprenticeship 12B (SSA12B).

These can be applied to the Select Studies requirements for graduation and SSA 12 credits can be applied to the additional 10 grade 12 credits required for graduation. In addition, SSA students will receive credit for the thirty hour work experience component of their Graduation Portfolio and may meet the requirements for all aspects of Education and Career Planning and Employability Skills Organizers of the portfolio. 

Apprenticeship hours can be completed in a number of ways including after school, weekends, holidays, or in cases where it can be accommodated in the school timetable, during school time.

Students who complete the 480 hours, achieve a C+ average in their Grade 12 courses, and are working in the trade six months after graduation can apply to the Ministry of Education for the Secondary School Apprenticeship Scholarship valued at $1000.00. 

A high school student who would like to begin an apprenticeship, can sign up for the North Vancouver School District SSA Registry. The Registry is a new initiative designed to connect students with employers on the North Shore. Students should be actively pursuing a job in an apprenticable trade as joining the Registry does not guarantee a placement with an employer.

A "hidden" apprentice is a high school student working in an apprenticable trade, but unaware that they can register with the Industry Training Authority. By registering as a Secondary School Apprentice, the student will receive graduation credits, get a head start on earning their trade certification and become eligible for the $1,000 scholarship. The student is encouraged to contact the school's career counsellor to determine if their job is apprenticable. If it is, the counsellor or teacher responsible for Secondary School Apprenticeship at the student's school can arrange for registration with the ITA.

Additional information on apprenticeships can be found on the Industry Training Authority web site: www.itabc.ca and the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum web site: www.caf-fca.org/.

For more information on the Secondary School Apprenticeships and the SSA Registry, contact:

Marcia Garries
District Administrator
North Vancouver School District
Leo Marshall Curriculum Centre
810 West 21 Street North Vancouver BC  V7P 2C1
Phone: 604.903.3790   |   Fax: 604.903.3778
E Mail: mgarries@nvsd44.bc.ca