Parents Guide to Career Programs at SAS

Parents Guide to Career Programs at SAS
February 2015
Graduation – then what?
So far we have had tours, spotlight sessions, information sessions and discussions. Now I want to tell you
where we have been, where we are going and what still needs to be done. At the halfway point in the school
year some of our Grade 12’s are graduating early in search of great jobs and adventure. A few of our Grade
11 and 12 students are enrolling in Post Secondary Training with their Tuition Paid for by the School District.
Other students are thinking about what to do after high school. What advice would you give to Grads?
Please take some time to learn about our Career Programs. J.Quilty
Remembering a Great Young Man
In late December we were very saddened to learn about the passing of one of
our great young Apprentices, Brandon Ouellette. Brandon was an incredible
young man and very talented Motorcycle and Snowmobile mechanic. He was
accepted into the Second Level of Technical Training at BCIT starting in January.
Brandon was extremely proud of his chosen career, his extensive collection of
tools and his tool box. Please take the time to support his family in these
difficult times.
November and December were busy months for Tours
In November Tolko Industries (Armstrong) and our School District hosted approximately 30 students for a
hands on Trades & Technology Career Event. Students travelled to eight different stations to learn about
trades activities. Welders, Carpenters, Millwrights, Machinists, Electricians, Power Engineers and Production
Workers were all showcased at the event. Does your son or daughter have any possible careers picked out
yet? On Saturday four different employers asked if we have any students interested in training (a Hairstylist,
an Electrician, a Carpenter, and a Marine Mechanic).
In December, Salmon Arm Secondary hosted a Tour of some of the great businesses in the Industrial Park.
Students visited Valid Manufacturing, Access Precision Machining, Landmark Solutions (Forestry), Windowland
and the Trades & Training Site for Okanagan College. Thank you again to those businesses for their support.
Take a drive through our Industrial Park and see some of the great businesses in our area. Have you seen
Access Precision Machining’s new CNC facility? It is incredible...... stay tuned for a future tour.
Warm up the bus! Here we go....
Are you ready? Spotlight sessions include the
Professional Cook 1 program at A.L. Fortune on the
afternoon of February 17th (attention potential Chefs),
the Auto Collision Repair Program at A.L. Fortune for
the morning of February 18th and a Construction Trades
Spotlight on Thursday February 19th (9 am to 3 pm).
Pleasant Valley Secondary will host a tour of the
Spallumcheen Industrial Park (Armstrong) on February
24th from 9 am to noon. Kohler Canada (Plumbing
Fixtures), Synergy Pacific (Engineered Wood Products)
and Bavarian Millworks (Cabinetry / Joinery) will be
featured. This may be of particular interest to students
graduating early this year.
We hope to take a bus load of interested students to the Education and Career Fair at TRU (Kamloops)
Wednesday, February 25th for the entire school day. This career fair is host to many large universities,
colleges, Private Training Institutions, Employers from Industry, and Federal / Provincial Government Agencies.
Get your permission slip from the Career Center at Jackson or Sullivan.
What else are we doing to promote Applied Skills in our schools?
We have identified the need to teach students basic skills with tools and technology at early Middle School
ages and throughout high school. As a result, our Career Programs department hosted 400 students for a
Trading Up event at Lenwood Middle School in early January, and 700 students at Shuswap Middle School last
week. I was reminded about how students love to make things, but rarely get the opportunity to use proper
tools and equipment. We have developed a “Doorbell Kit” and a “Water-balloon Filling Station” lab to teach
to students. Each lab involves teaching a class of 30 student, basic plumbing or electrical skills, and then the
students use tools and materials to solve a problem. So far, three classes of Physics 11 students and 2 French
Immersion Science 9 classes have done the “Doorbell Kit” lab.
What building / house repair skills can you teach to your son or daughter?
Want to learn to build a house?
Ask your son or daughter if he or she is interested in learning to build a house under the direction of a
Journeyman Carpenter at Okanagan College. Perhaps you have a family member looking to learn a new skill in
the Construction Trades. Well, guess what? Okanagan College is offering a Pre-Apprenticeship Residential
House Construction Program in Salmon Arm starting in February. There are 16 spots per year available in this
program. If you have a student from SAS wanting to go Tuition Free in February of 2016, ask him/her to apply
right away. If you have a recent Grad at home please pass this information along as well. Okanagan College
has room in this year’s program (right here in Salmon Arm) – there are 8 students in the program.
What is an Electrician?
Electricians install, repair and operate electrical and electronic systems in buildings, industrial sites and
technology facilities. To become an Electrician, a trainee must complete a four-year program including 6,000
workplace hours and four - ten week training sessions (approximately 1200 hours). If you are interested in
becoming an Electrician or an Electrical Engineer take English 11 and 12, Physics 11 (consider Physics 12) and
Foundations of Math 11 and 12 (Pre-Calc and Calculus would also be good choices). You can do the first level
of your technical training right here in Salmon Arm at Okanagan College (next intake February 2016).
What else does the Electrical Pre-Apprenticeship program prepare students for?
Students can pursue other options after the first level of the program such as the Instrumentation Mechanic
Program at TRU, perhaps the Computer Networking program at Okanagan College in Kelowna or even an
Electrical Engineering Degree. High school students completing the Pre-Apprenticeship program during Grade
11 or 12 will receive 24 high school credits (all at the Grade 12 Level).
As part of our tour on December 4th we visited Valid Manufacturing in the Salmon Arm Industrial Park. Right
next door is the Salmon Arm Campus of Okanagan College’s Trades and Training Program. Three SAS Students
are just completing their Level 1 Electrical Pre-apprenticeship program. If you are in Grade 10 or 11 right
now, start applying for the next available program (Feb 2016).
What tools should our students graduate with?
Should a student Graduate early or stay and get more Skills and Training?
Some of our grads line up required courses in the first semester of Grade 12 with the goal of finishing after
first semester. Should a student enter the workforce right away upon leaving high school? Consider adding a
skill set to that Dogwood Diploma such as a Pre-Apprenticeship program or more challenging courses such as
Physics 12 or Pre-Calculus 12. Would a student make a better engineer with a semester of training in
Automotive or Power Equipment? Would a student be a better Architect with some training in Residential
House Construction? For some of our students going towards a Degree, would you recommend they take an
introductory 1st Year College Course in Grade 12? We have the ability to offer students the opportunities
mentioned above.
What is an Apprenticeship?
If you are not sure about going to college or university, try a skilled trade, get an apprenticeship. An
Apprenticeship is paid work experience under the direction of a Red Seal Tradesperson (ex. Professional Cook,
Welder, Auto Service Tech, etc.). An apprentice is registered with the ITA (Industry Training Authority) by the
school district, with a goal of completing over 900 hours of on the job training within 6 months of graduating
(to qualify for a $1000 scholarship). If a tradesperson does not have a Red Seal, but has worked in the trade
for about 9000 hours, we may be able to obtain Sign-Off Authority for that tradesperson. Regardless of
whether the student is doing WEx (Work Experience) or a SSA (Secondary School Apprenticeship) the worksite
must have a Work Safe number (“WCB” Coverage).
Reminder of Career Program Intake Dates and Locations - APPLY NOW!
Program Name
Auto Service Technician (AST)
Motorcycle and Power Equipment Technician
(MOPET)
Professional Cook 1 (Pro Cook 1)
Hair Design / Cosmetology (Hair / Cosmo)
Secondary School Apprenticeships (SSA)
1st Year College Course (Academic)
Electrician Pre-Apprenticeship
Welding – Level C
Location
SAS – Sullivan
SAS – Jackson
Residential House Construction (RHC)
Plumbing Pre-Apprenticeship
Heavy Duty Mechanic
4th Class Power Engineer
Health Care Aid
Okanagan College (SA) – 2nd Semester
Okanagan College (SA) – Apply now to OC
Okanagan College (Kel) – 1st & 2nd Semester
BCIT Online
Thompson Rivers University
AL Fortune / Online
PVS (Armstrong)
Various Businesses in the Shuswap
Okanagan College (SA)
Okanagan College(SA) – 2nd Semester
Okanagan College (SA) – Apply now to OC
Next Intake Date
Feb 2016
September 2015
Feb 2016
Feb 2015
Ongoing
Sept. 2015 / Jan. 2016
Feb 2016
August 2015
*Waitlisted
Feb 2016
Feb. 16, 2015
Ongoing
Feb. 2015
Sept. 2015
Steps to accessing career options:
Contact the career center staff (Jackson and Sullivan Campus).
Send your son/daughter in to the Career Center or parents – show up yourself!
Place a phone call to or email the career center staff.
Talk to your son/daughter about his or her interests.
Ask friends and family members who may be in trades.
Send your son/daughter on a Trades Tour offered by the school.
Career Center Contacts:
John Quilty
Career Coordinator
SAS – Sullivan
250-832-2188 Ext.1227
[email protected]
Greg Seed
Career Coordinator
SAS – Jackson
250-832-2188 Ext.3207
[email protected]
Roger Houle
Work Experience Coordinator
SAS - Sullivan
250-832-2188 Ext.1228
[email protected]
Have a conversation with your son or daughter about his or her plan for Grade 12. Consider completing more
courses in the Final Semester of Grade 12 that may provide greater opportunity in the Work Force. Select
challenging courses and expect excellence. Please consider signing up for one of our Tours in February (sign
up at either campus). Thank you for your time.
J.Quilty