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  • Youth Apprenticeship Programs Across Canada

    Youth Apprenticeship Programs Across Canada

    Youth apprenticeship programs are available in most provinces and territories. Check out the programs available in your area.

    Alberta
    The Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) allows high school students to participate in an apprenticeship program while they are still attending school. RAP apprentices earn income as well as hours of on-the-job training and work experience as credit towards their apprenticeship program, and their high school diploma. Scholarships are also available for RAP students.

    British Columbia
    The Secondary School Apprenticeship (SSA) is a career program that provides students with the opportunity to begin an apprenticeship while still in high school, and to earn high school credits for doing so. It provides a smoother road from school to work, and a head start to an apprenticeship.

    ACE IT is an industry training program for high school students, with trade classes offered at colleges and sometimes at a high school. ACE IT programs involve a partnership of schools, employers and industry and provides funding for the first level of schooling. Local employers get involved in the development of ACE IT programs, leading to a higher employment rate following completion of the program.

    Manitoba
    The High School Apprenticeship Program (HSAP) combines regular high school instruction with paid, part-time, on-the-job training. Students can earn up to 8 supplemental academic credits for graduation based on 110 working/practical hours per credit.

    Youth Build is a job training and pre-apprenticeship program whereby young people are working under the supervision of a journeyperson to renovate homes and develop building skills. Young people can attend the Youth Build Program full time, as an alternative to school. In Manitoba, there is a 30 hour per week paid vocational component and a 10 hour per week unpaid academic component.

    New Brunswick
    The Career Connections Program (CCP) offers students experience, hands-on paid work experience, and expands their essential employability skills.

    Newfoundland and Labrador
    Youth apprenticeship courses are available for high school students through Skilled Trades Jump Start Your Life.

    Northwest Territories
    The Schools North Apprenticeship Program (SNAP) is an opportunity for high school students to earn credit and pursue a career in the trades.

    Nova Scotia
    The Workit Youth Apprenticeship Initiative is open to youth between the ages of 16 and 19.

    Options and Opportunities (O2) offers students more hands-on learning experiences with a career focus. It’s designed to prepare students for successful transitions from high school to work, a career path, or a post-secondary program.

    Ontario
    The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) is a School to Work program that opens the door for students to explore and work in apprenticeship occupations starting in Grade 11 or Grade 12 through the Cooperative Education program.

    Prince Edward Island
    Youth Apprenticeship or Accelerated Secondary Youth Apprenticeship Program (ASAP)Youth Apprenticeship is for students wanting to explore their trade career options and gain a head-start on the post-secondary apprenticeship training program while working toward their Grade 12 diploma.

    Québec
    Québec offers vocational and technical education programs under the apprenticeship system, which are run jointly by Emploi-Québec and the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport .

    Saskatchewan
    Saskatchewan Youth Apprenticeship (SYA) raises awareness of apprenticeship in Saskatchewan schools by helping young people discover what rewards come with being a Youth Apprentice and working in the skilled trades.

    Yukon
    The Yukon Secondary School Apprenticeship Training program is open to Yukon secondary school students who would like to explore a skilled trade and complete high school at the same time.

  • Working as an Automotive Service Technician

    Working as an Automotive Service Technician

    Do you…
    • Enjoy working with your hands?
    • Enjoy fixing cars, trucks, motorcycles or small engines?
    • Want to learn more about electrical, hydraulics (fluid power), pneumatics (air power) and mechanical components in machines?

    If you answered “yes” to any of the questions above, then a career as an Automotive Service Technician may be right for you!

    What Is An Automotive Service Technician?
    An Automotive Service Technician is a certified and skilled tradesperson who diagnoses and repairs motor vehicles (e.g. cars, minivans, SUV’s, light duty trucks and medium duty trucks).

    An Automotive Service Technician performs various duties that help maintain a vehicle as well as repair it. Some of these job activities include:
    • Engine maintenance and repair
    • Transmission maintenance and repair
    • Exhaust system repair
    • Body repair and adjustments
    • Brake maintenance and repair
    • Steering, suspension and alignment repairs

    Where Does An Automotive Service Technician Work?
    An Automotive Service Technician may work in:
    • Dealerships
    • Independent automotive shops, repair shops and garages (owned by other people or themselves)

    Some Automotive Service Technicians may prefer to work as:
    • Teachers in high school teaching automotive class
    • Teachers in colleges that offer an accredited Automotive Service Training program

    What Does A Typical Day For An Automotive Service Technician Look Like?
    A typical day for an Automotive Service Technician in a dealership or automotive shop usually begins when a customer brings their vehicle to the shop. The customer tells the service advisor what the problems are with their vehicle. The service advisor documents the problems on a work order. The vehicle and corresponding work order is then given to an Automotive Service Technician who begins to work on this particular job.

    An Automotive Service Technician follows a certain procedure when working on a new job. He/she:
    1. Reads the work order written up by the service advisor.
    2. Examines the vehicle to further assess the problems mentioned on the work order.
    3. Provides the service advisor with an estimate on how much it will cost to fix the problems.
    4. Waits for the service advisor to confirm that the customer is OK with the repair costs before fixing the problems.
    5. Fixes the problems once the service advisor gives the go ahead.
    6. Takes the vehicle for a test drive and/or performs operational checks to ensure that the customer’s concerns are resolved.
    7. Informs the service advisor that the customer can pick up their vehicle.

    How Do You Become An Automotive Service Technician?
    1. Attend a college that offers a certified Automotive Service Technician training program.
    2. Complete the Automotive Service Technician program successfully.
    3. Find a suitable employer who will hire and train you as an Automotive Service Technician apprentice. (Complete your apprenticeship booklet/hours/activities at work and get it signed off by your employer).
    4. Write the Automotive Service Technician certification exam put out by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.
    5. Pass the exam, obtain your 310S license and become a licensed Automotive Service Technician!

  • Skilled Trades Workers Key Drivers of Canadian Economy

    Skilled Trades Workers Key Drivers of Canadian Economy

    Nearly half of Canadians don’t know how to install a faucet, replace a zipper or change a flat tire, a new survey has found.

    “There’s a serious underlying message here that many Canadians are lacking basic, practical knowledge when it comes to completing everyday skills, admitting they require help,” Skills/Competences Canada CEO Shaun Thorson said in a release about the survey.

    The survey, conducted April 12 to 16, asked 1,011 Canadians in telephone interviews whether they could complete certain tasks. The results are considered accurate to within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

    The Harris/Decima survey found 46% of Canadians don’t know how to install a bathroom or kitchen faucet, while 14% said they have no idea how to turn off the water main in their home.

    When it comes to fixing their clothes, 45% of Canadians said they can’t replace a zipper. This percentage jumped to 63% when just the men were counted.
    About a third of Canadians – 31% – don’t know how to install a light fixture.

    As well, 28% of Canadians don’t know how to change a flat tire – but when looking at just the women’s answers, that jumps to 48%.

    “Industries that depend on skilled trade workers are key drivers of the Canadian economy contributing over 50% of Canada’s GDP. But the growing shortage of skilled trade workers is not only a concern for industry – it is only a matter of time before every Canadian will feel the impact in their everyday lives,” Thorson said.

    Skills/Competences Canada commissioned the survey. The organization promotes careers in skilled trades and technologies.

  • Working In the Trades

    Working In the Trades

    When considering working in the trades, there are a few important questions to ask.

    Firstly, you should find out how much the job pays. Thinking this may make it may feel that you are only looking to make money, but the reality is that, at some point in your life, your parents will not be there to pay the bills for you and you will have to step up to the plate and pay for your lifestyle. Whether you are a “stick-to-basics” kind of person or a “lavish lifestyle” kind of person, you will need to pay for your life and so you will need to make enough money to feel comfortable.

    There is a realistic way to evaluate how much money will really be enough for you. I suggest creating a budget for yourself to identify exactly how much money you spend on the various aspects of your life. You could try tabulating a spreadsheet and counting up all the different aspects of your life that cost money, including the major categories like rent, food, clothing, hygiene products (like shampoo, toothpaste, etc.), entertainment (movies, cable TV connection), school tuition and so on. Once you’ve identified how much money you expend each month, you can multiply that by twelve to find out how much you need per year.  This should give you a good idea of how much you NEED to make per year, and from there you can evaluate what you WANT to make per year. Factor in long-term goals, like buying a car or a house.

    Secondly, you will want to evaluate what type of work interests you. Do you like physical work like what is demanded in plumbing and carpentry, or do you prefer to work in an area more focused on being indoors (like a job peripherally related to the trades, such as being a sales manager or receptionist)?  Knowing what the requirements are for the career you are looking at doing for the rest of your life is essential, because you will spend so much of your time doing this work; It is important to love it.

    Thirdly, it is important to consider what resources are available to you to help you get yourself the job you want. Sometimes a job may seem great in your mind, but the potential for landing a job in that field can be difficult. A current example of this conundrum is teaching, where there are very few teaching positions available that are full time and permanent. Looking into volunteer, internship and permanent positions available in your is great way to do some research and prepare yourself for working in your chosen field.

    Thinking about the above three factors should help you to identify what career in the trades is best suited for you. Good luck!

  • Choosing A Trade

    Choosing A Trade

    With more than 200 trades across Canada to choose from, finding the right one can seem challenging. Here are some tips to help you identify what would be a perfect career choice for you.

    Consider a wide range of trades

    Do you like working in the garden, or fixing your car? Do you enjoy home maintenance projects or styling hair? Get familiar with the many trade choices first, and think about what work you like to accomplish.

    Narrow your choices down to 5 or fewer trades

    Keep it manageable by narrowing down your choices. Get as familiar as you can with the work, to see if you’d like it.

    Observe a trade or participate in a youth apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship program

    Some school boards offer Observe a Trade days, which will give you the opportunity to see what’s involved in your favourite trades. For something more comprehensive, you can also participate in a pre-apprenticeship program, which gives you practical, on-the-job training with hours that are often transferable to your full apprenticeship.

    Talk to people who work in the trade

    See if you can get in touch with a journeyperson who works in the trade you’ve targeted, to see what advice they can give you. This is a great way to learn some tips from those who have already been there.

  • Are You Supposed to Pick Just One Career When You Grow Up?

    Are You Supposed to Pick Just One Career When You Grow Up?

    As you enter the world of responsibility, you will be facing many challenges and questions that will have you wondering what exactly it is that you are supposed to do when you grow up. This can leave some wondering whether they need to have a perfect career path already planned out or if they can experiment a little bit and see what feels like a fit. There are many different paths to success and sometimes it takes people a little longer to find what is right for them. This is natural and normal and is a result of the questions and challenges that individuals face along their life’s path.

    When looking at what type of career path you want to pursue, having an idea of what subjects you are good at and can get good marks in is important. This will help you to determine what your natural skills are and will lead you on the path to having a job that you love. Maybe you do really well in your science classes and will follow the path towards a career that involves science in some way. If you excel in sports, you might dream of becoming a professional athlete or even teaching sports and fitness to others. The important thing to remember is that you don’t have to choose a career right now – just follow your heart and it will take you where you need to be.

    Know that you are not alone, and seek to get the answers you want about different jobs you see people doing. But above all, have fun and you will find that your career path will open up before you!

  • What Does it Mean to Be an Intern?

    What Does it Mean to Be an Intern?

    For many students and recent graduates, an internship is simply a route to a full time career. Many companies hire interns with the intention of permanently hiring them within the company.  Although a full-time position is the ultimate goal, internships should be taken advantage of for more reasons than a possible path to a full-time job.

    The purpose of being an intern is to learn. It’s okay if you’re not an expert on the position or the company. Usually interns, especially first timers, are not expected to be experts. Take advantage of the opportunity and don’t be afraid to ask questions. The more questions you ask, the more information you gain. Asking questions also shows your leaders that you are interested in the position and are excited about learning more. It’s also important to accept that you will make mistakes. Again, you are not expected to be an expert, and making mistakes is another form of learning. Take responsibility for the mistakes you make and learn from them.

    Interns may or may not know what they want to do as a career. The best way to find out if you are right for a position or company is to test the waters. You’ll never know if you’re good at something until you try it out for a while. An internship is like a trial run in a specific position. If you know that position is right for you, make it known that you are interested in becoming a full-time employee. If you discover that maybe this is not the right path, then gain as much experience as possible and move on to something else. Talk to your leader or supervisor about shadowing. As an intern, you should have the flexibility to schedule time to shadow someone who is experienced. Shadowing can help you see what a normal day would be like working in a certain position. You should try to shadow different positions within the company as well as different levels. Shadowing someone who is higher up is a great way to see the possible growth opportunities.

    Overall, being an intern should be an enjoyable experience. Relax and do the best that you can. Don’t stress over whether or not you’re going to get hired after the internship has ended. If you do your best work, and gain as much experience as possible, the time spent as an intern will be well worth it. If you take full advantage of the opportunity of an internship, you will know exactly what you want to do within the company or as a career in general, and you will know your goals for the future. The value of an internship depends on what you do with your time and the experience that you gain.

  • The Choice is Yours

    The Choice is Yours

    Choosing an educational or career path is difficult, especially when you try to do it alone. But asking for advice can sometimes make things more confusing. When asking for opinions, it’s important to know what – and who – to ask. This guide will help you to collect the kind of advice that will help, not hinder, your decision making.

    1. Think about who really knows you best. You might automatically think, “Mom!” or “Grandpa Joe!” – but that may not be the case. Loving someone or being close to them doesn’t automatically mean that they know you best. Does your Grandpa Joe see you the way you are, or the way he would like you to be? He might think you’d make an amazing mathematics professor when, really, you can’t count and love ballet.

    2. Consider why people make the suggestions they make. Does your Aunt Louise want you to be an orchestra musician because she knows that you love to play violin; or is it because she never realized her own dream of playing in a symphony? Make sure that the suggestions you get are tailored to you, and not to the person suggesting them.

    3. Interview people and ask work-related questions. Ask people what they do (or did) and find out what their jobs were like. Ask family members about their jobs – why they chose them, what they like and don’t like, or what a typical day looks like. People are your best resource: don’t be afraid to ask around to get a better idea of what field might most interest you.

    4. Do your homework. If you already have an idea of what you’d like to do, research it before asking opinions on it. If you’d like to work in accounting, you may not want to ask the opinions of your performing arts family members unless you’ve done a bit of background research. People often react to jobs that they think are “boring” or “difficult” without considering whether or not they’d be right for you. Doing research can also help you when asking questions about other peoples’ jobs.

    The right advice can help you to make a career decision that you feel good about. The wrong advice, on the other hand, can do the opposite. The most important thing to remember is that at the end of the day, the only person doing your job is you. Your cousin Fred may love you, but he won’t be coming to work with you every day. Take advice with a grain of salt; use it to inform your decision making, but remember that your decisions are yours to make.

  • A Job in Nature: Deep Sea Diver

    A Job in Nature: Deep Sea Diver

    For thousands of years, people have wanted to dive deep under the water, either for fun or for a special purpose. Over two thousand years ago, during the time of Alexander the Great, people were already inventing ways to help them breathe underwater. By 1538, Greek divers were able to sink all the way to the bottom of the ocean and come back to the surface without getting wet. However, the diving bells that they had were heavy and difficult to use. People could spend only a fairly short time under the water, and they found it hard to move around.

    That all changed in 1949. A diver named Jacques-Yves Cousteau and an engineer named Emile Gagnan designed a device called the Aqua-Lung. It had two hoses attached to a tank of air and allowed divers to breathe for long periods of time underwater. Later, this kind of equipment for breathing underwater became known as scuba gear. This equipment has made it possible for people to work as deep sea divers, working under the water.

    The most famous deep sea diver was Jacques Cousteau. Besides inventing the Aqua-Lung, Cousteau worked as a deep sea diver for the military during the Second World War. After the war, he became a scientist. He explored the bottom of the world’s seas and oceans to find out about the fish and other animals living there and to record the information for the future. Throughout his life, he tried to help people understand the oceans better and to try to protect the animals living in them.

    Scientific research is a big part of what many deep sea divers do. Other divers work for the military, taking care of equipment or cleaning the bottoms of boats. Still other divers do similar kinds of work in cleaning and maintenance, but for commercial businesses such as shipping companies. Almost any job that involves going under the water can be part of a deep sea diver’s work.

    How can you have a career as a deep sea diver? Training requirements depend on the specific job that the diver has to do. A scientific researcher, for example, normally has to study in areas like biology or oceanography. However, basic requirements for work as a deep sea diver are a high school diploma and diving training. The diver’s safety can depend on this type of training, and it is normally very thorough.

    The work that deep sea divers do is very important. Salaries can vary, depending on where people work and what they do.  Generally, however, they make over $50,000, and they might even make more. Diving can be very tiring work, and it is also difficult or even impossible in bad weather. Because of these factors, divers generally work underwater for less than half of the year. They might spend the rest of the year writing or teaching about what they discovered underwater or getting themselves in shape for the next round of dives. Does this sound like a good job for you?

  • Writing Effective Cover Letters

    Writing Effective Cover Letters

    A cover letter is a formal letter used to introduce yourself to a potential employer and to convince him or her that you are the best candidate for the job.  Its purpose is to highlight the skills you have that are relevant to the job you want to apply for.  Employers are very busy people who usually receive hundreds of applications for any particular job.  That means an effective cover letter has to immediately grab their attention and tell the employer why he or she should spend time learning about you.  Keep your cover letter on topic and try to use succinct sentences that are relevant to the job.

    To write an effective cover letter, you must include three important elements.  First, introduce yourself, identify the position you are applying for and explain how you found out about the position.  This can be done in a single, introductory paragraph.  Next, in the body paragraph, explain why you are qualified for the position by describing your skills and how you demonstrated those skills in past jobs, volunteer positions or at school.  You probably have lots of skills that could apply to a range of different jobs.  However, it is best to discuss in your cover letter only the skills that will be most useful for the job and keep discussion of all of your other strengths for the interview that will come later.  But how do you figure out which skills are the most important to include in the letter?  You can figure out which skills to discuss in the cover letter by closely reading the job application and trying to get a clear sense of what the job will entail.  Finally, in the third and last paragraph of the cover letter, ask the employer to set up an interview and thank them for considering your application.  Always make sure to include your contact information so they will know how to get in touch.

    Here are a few more tips to keep in mind when writing an effective cover letter:

    1. Do your homework:  Learn as much as you can about the company you are applying to so you can show, in your cover letter, that you will be a good addition to the organization.
    2. Follow instructions:  Be sure to clearly answer everything that is asked in the job posting in your cover letter.
    3. Be brief:  Your cover letter should usually be made up of three paragraphs and never be more than one page long.
    4. Personalize your letter:  If possible, address the cover letter to a specific person by using their name and title.  Do not misspell the name.
    5. Don’t just restate your resume:  Usually employers read the cover letter first, so catch their attention in a way that persuades them to continue reading your resume.