Joinery Apprenticeship - British Columbia Institute of TechnologyJoinery Education in CanadaCarpentry and Woodworking Programs -- Community College Programs
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Joinery Apprenticeship - British Columbia Institute of Technology What is an apprenticeship? An apprenticeship 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.. In British Columbia, apprenticeships are under the authority of the Industry Training Authority of BC (ITA). Joinery (cabinetmaking) apprenticeships in BC normally take 4 years to complete are comprised of at least 6,480 hours of work experience and 720 hours of classroom instruction. The latter will be delivered via 4 six-week blocks taken on an annual basis. The wage an apprentice earns depends on various factors such as education/training, experience, and economic aspects like supply and demand. An apprentice can, however, start at about 40 to 50 percent of what a journeyperson would earn in the trade being learned, and increasing with each progression in the various stages of the apprenticeship. 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. How does one become an apprentice? To be eligible for an apprenticeship program, candidates should be at least 16 years of age and have completed a minimum of Grade 10, or equivalent, including English 10, Mathematics 10, and Science 10. Some potential students may be required to successfully write an entrance examination. In some cases, the aforementioned pre-requisites may be waived. Furthermore, before a person can enter an apprenticeship program, he/she must find a qualified (journeyperson) employer willing to apprentice him/her. The responsibility for finding an employer ultimately rests with the person wanting to be apprenticed. However, ITA and British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) both offer programs that may help students obtain employment or, at least, increase their respective employability. For example, ITA sponsors a special program for high school students, the Secondary School Apprenticeship (SSA). Through the SSA, students may begin an apprenticeship while in secondary school that involves them working part-time, for pay, and simultaneously receiving credits for high school. Students in the SSA can have up to 2 years of training in their respective trades by the time they graduate high school. BCIT, on the other hand, offers programs such as Trades Discovery (general and for women) and the 25-week Joinery Entry Level Trades Training (ELTT). The latter will engage students in numerous theory and assignments and projects designed to provide the student with 'a solid foundation of knowledge and skill' that will him/her 'more employable in an entry-level position.' A student who successfully completes the ELLT is eligible to 'receive credit for the in-school portion of Level 1 apprenticeship training' particularly if he/she 'is able to obtain an apprenticeship within one year of ELTT completion.' The advantage of completing a relevant program before seeking to be apprenticed is that the graduate often finds favour with potential employers because he/she has obtained the skills required to become immediately productive on the job, and thus may find sponsorship easier to come by. Moreover, a person who possesses previous training and/or work experience in the trade in which he/she was to be apprenticed may be eligible to receive time credits towards the apprenticeship program and/or may be able to challenge the latter's technical training portion. Before an individual can be officially indentured, he/she and his/her employer must officially register with ITA. When the apprentice has found an employer, the former must contact ITA. The latter may request an interview with the employer and/or apprentice prior to approving the apprenticeship. During the interview, the qualifications and suitability of the employer and goals of the apprenticeship, among other things, will be determined and finalized. The employer and apprentice must sign an official agreement detailing the apprenticeship, such as its objectives, course, and rules, among other things. Once the apprenticeship has been approved, the apprentice may proceed to apply to BCIT's Joinery Apprenticeship for the technical/theoretical component of the apprenticeship.
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