The world facing a new apprentice — or even one making their way through their studies — can be daunting, said Lindsay Langill.
The dean of the trades and technology school at Thompson Rivers University said the issues they can face “are a jungle that has claimed more than one victim.”
The appointment of Helen Poss as an apprenticeship advisor for the Kamloops area, one of 15 such positions created by the Industry Training Authority (ITA), should help those starting out in trades navigate the system, he said.
Langill, a member of the ITA board, said when a student signs up with ITA to enter the apprenticeship stream, “they’ll get their welcome letter, here’s your advisor, we’re here to help.”
The position was part of a detailed ITA review last year that identified screening, tracking and support as key to seeing would-be trades people to complete their courses and enter the workforce.
The report said the existing ITA system had no way of tracking apprentices in a timely or accurate manner and advisors would be the best way to do so, as well as provide needed support and liaise with employers and other training providers.
The advisors will also ensure apprentices are actually learning on the job and not just address regional differences.
That could be something as basic as the difference between taking the SkyTrain to a job in Vancouver or moving in for the long haul at a camp in northern B.C.
“We want our apprentices to have success and have a happy experience so we can have higher completion rates,” Langill said.
The first-year dropout rate for apprentices is about 50 per cent, he said, compared to a 20 per cent rate in other academic areas.
At TRU, Langill said, his school is seeing increased interest from students, particularly in the priority trades of liquid natural gas and oil and gas the provincial government has been promoting.
“We’re living in good times right now,” he said. “Our apprentices can get jobs if they want to go out and work.”
The school is introducing a new Level 2 course of studies for power-line technicians and is continuing to see increased numbers through its women-in-trades initiative.
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