Skilled Trades Exploratory Program (STEP) for Women - Selkirk CollegeCarpentry Education in CanadaCarpentry and Woodworking Programs -- Community College Programs
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Skilled Trades Exploratory Program (STEP) for Women - Selkirk College Selkirk College's 11-week Skilled Trades Exploratory Program (STEP) for Women program is designed provides students with 'basic technical knowledge and basic hands-on skills in' the trades of Carpentry, Electrical, General Mechanics, Machinist, Millwright, and Welding. Participants will also be equipped with 'a basic knowledge of subjects such as' Blueprint Reading, Drafting, Fittings, Layout, Measuring Practices, Rigging and Fasteners, and Trade Mathematics and Science as well as acquire training and certification in Occupational First Aid Level I, Forklift Operation and WHMIS' (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System). Students will also have, as a group, the opportunity to tour regional industrial worksites 'to see where and how tradespersons perform their work.' Upon graduation, graduates 'will have gained the knowledge that will enable them to determine if they wish to pursue a career as a tradesperson, and if so, in which particular trade.' To be eligible for admission to STEP, applicants must possess a 'High School Graduation or equivalent, basic computer literacy,' and typing skills of 20 words per minute or better.' Prospective students who are 19 years of age or over and do not possess a secondary school diploma, but 'provided they have successfully completed Grade 10 or equivalent,' may apply via mature student status. Furthermore, 'all applicants are required to complete a pre-admission computerized basic skills assessment test in reading, writing and mathematics once they have submitted their application.' Graduates of STEP will have the opportunity to pursue employment in various trades and aspects within trades. For example, graduates may pursue employment options in various aspects of the construction industry such as working on commercial/industrial, maintenance, or residential projects. Some may also pursue jobs in the wood and wood products manufacturing industries. Among potential employers are include construction companies, custom or repair shops, furniture and cabinet manufacturers, general contractors, and residential and ICI sectors. Some graduates may pursue self employment opportunities. Individuals who aspire to advance their careers in a trade may be interested in pursuing further educational opportunities to refine and enhance their abilities, particularly via an apprenticeship. The latter is a method of learning a trade through a combination of periods of in-class, technical/theoretical education and periods of paid, on-the-job training. During the latter portions of an apprenticeship, the student (apprentice) will work, in an indentured capacity, under the direction of a certified, journeyperson member of the trade one is learning, for a specific period of time. A journeyperson is an individual who has earned the standards of practice of his/her trade. Depending on which trade one chooses, an apprenticeship can take from 2 to 5 years to complete. The advantage of completing an apprenticeship is not only that one acquires in-depth knowledge and skills in a trade but also that, within the latter, one's career opportunities and salary potential are normally increased. Furthermore, once an individual has obtained journeyperson status, he/she may be eligible to have his/her certification as such endorsed by the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program (Red Seal). The latter enables the journeyperson to practice his/her trade throughout Canada, provided the trade is designated in that locale, without undergoing further examinations. Persons who earn journeyperson status may, after obtaining several years of experience beyond an apprenticeship, become educators, supervisors, and/or trainers of their respective trades.
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