Joinery ELTT - British Columbia Institute of TechnologyJoinery Education in CanadaCarpentry and Woodworking Programs -- Community College Programs
PROGRAM WEBSITE
Joinery ELTT - British Columbia Institute of Technology The Certificate of Trades Training in Joinery offered at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), is a full-time, 25-week program designed to prepare 'students for entry-level employment in the joinery trade.' The Program will provide students with the basic theoretical and technical education and practical learning opportunities enabling them 'to become competent in basic interior woodworking tasks.' To graduate from the Program students must pass each course with at least a 70 percent grade point average (GPA) in each required. Graduates may either seek general entry level work or further their respective proficiency in the trade via 'employment as an apprentice.' Joiners usually work indoors primarily in the construction, wood, or wood products and manufacturing industries. Joiners may be self-employed or are typically employed by cabinetmaking, construction, furniture manufacturing, and/or repair companies and/or custom shops. The precise work a joiner does will vary depending where his/she is employed. However, typical work includes cabinetmaking, door and window construction, furniture manufacturing, and interior finishing and stair building, among others. It is not unusual for joiners to labour in a shop environment in which they are exposed to high levels of noise, various dust particles, and chemicals, especially from paint. Joinery is a profession in transition because new technologies are increasingly forcing those in the trade to focus less on manufacturing and more on installing pre-manufactured cabinets and related fixtures. Individuals who aspire to advance their careers as joiners 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 under the direction of a certified, journeyperson member of the trade one is learning for a specified amount of time. A journeyperson is an individual who has earned the standards of practice of his/her trade. 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. Moreover, cabinetmakers who earn journeyperson status may, after obtaining several years of experience beyond an apprenticeship, become educators, supervisors, and/or trainers of their trade. Graduates of the ELTT program will be eligible to receive time credit towards an apprenticeship. Potential applicants may apply for admission to the ELTT program in one of three ways. Firstly, applicants who have successfully completed high school, Grade 11 Mathematics (Accounting 11 is not accepted), and Communications 12 or English 12 or English-language proficiency may apply for direct entry into the Program. A BCIT pretest, English and Math assessment tests or Trades Pretest, is acceptable in lieu of English and Mathematics. BCIT reserves the right to have an applicant undergo a Chief Instructor interview before rendering a final decision regarding his/her application. Commencing in August 2007, applicants will no longer need to write the final examinations for Grade 12 Mathematics and Science courses for admission to programs that require those classes. However, final exam marks will still be needed for Grade 12 Communications, English, and Professional Communications courses. Secondly, students are eligible for entry into the Program via the Fresh Start Program. The latter 'is a full-time technical literacy program' providing students aspiring 'to enter a trades/technical program at BCIT' with the necessary 'academic upgrading in an applied setting' to do so. Thirdly, female students may apply to the Program through the Trades Discovery and Trades Discovery for Women. The latter 'are full-time programs designed to prepare participants to successfully enter and complete a Trades Training program.' Due to the demanding nature, both mentally and physically, of the joinery trade, BCIT advises that individuals who may have 'medical or physical difficulties' to contact the Disability Resource Centre to arrange an interview (telephone interview if out of town) with the Institute's rehabilitation specialist at 604-451-6963' before applying to the Program.
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