SCHOLARSHIPS HELP JUMP-START STUDENTS’ TRADES CAREERS

DELTA – A record number of secondary school graduates were awarded government scholarships, totalling $375,000 this year, for their success in the Secondary School Apprenticeship Program, Education Minister Shirley Bond announced today.

“Learning a trade is one of the smartest choices high school students can make,” Bond said during a visit to the Delta school district. “With B.C.’s booming economy, trades graduates have their pick of a well-paying, satisfying career in anything from aircraft maintenance to motion picture and graphic arts trades.

A total of 375 B.C. students received the $1,000 scholarships this year, a 21 per cent increase over last year. The students were awarded the scholarships this month for graduating from high school in January and June 2005 with a C+ average, and for continuing to learn their trades.

“Our Secondary School Apprenticeship Program gives students a chance to earn credits and money at the same time – and they finish high school with a head start on their apprenticeships,” said Bond. “These scholarships reward their foresight, give them a chance to add to their toolkits, and encourage them to push on towards journeyperson status.”

The program, which currently has over 1,000 students enrolled throughout B.C., allows them to start their apprenticeships after turning 15, and receive 16 credits towards graduation for 480 hours of paid work experience, while continuing classroom learning.

“These students are part of our skilled labour force of tomorrow, and we need more of them to take advantage of the opportunities opening up in B.C.,” said Bond. “As well as continuing secondary school apprenticeships, we have developed an industry training system that attracts more trainees by providing flexible, relevant training that will prepare them for the wide variety of skilled jobs industry has to offer in different regions of our province.”

The school apprenticeship scholarships support the Province’s Balanced Budget 2006, which provides an additional $400 million to increase training and skills development. The Province also recently announced it is partnering with the Industry Training Authority (ITA) to launch the $1.4-million Youth Exploring Skills to Industry Training (YES 2 IT) trades awareness program for students in grades 6 through 9.

Bond visited the Delta school district as part of the throne speech commitment that the Premier and/or the Minister of Education will visit all 60 school districts in the coming months.

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Media contact:	Public Affairs Bureau Ministry of Education 250 356-5963

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