by Heidi Hackman & Colleen McNamee, District Career Coordinators, SD 63 | photo by Amanda Cribdon Photography –
Success can be measured in many different ways. When we started looking to see how we could improve our popular trade sampler programs, we knew we had to discuss “what success looks like.” The Saanich School District offers two sampler programs in partnership with Camosun College. In first semester there is TASK (Trades Awareness Skills and Knowledge) at the Saanichton Learning Centre, and in the second semester there is TEx (Trades Exploration) at Claremont. TASK exposes students to eight different trade areas and build a mockup of a bathroom. In TEx, students get more time in four trade areas (metal, pipe trades, carpentry and electrical).
Pathways, after the sampler, vary from student to student and are all examples of success. For some students they will decide that trades are not for them. But they do admit that they have acquired the skills to be able to do small home repairs; that’s always a good thing! Some will work in industry and be indentured as youth apprentices and continue to earn credit towards graduation through the Youth Work in Trades program. Others will want to apply to Camosun to do a Foundation/Level 1 program, and some will do both.
Corson Greig is one of many examples of a trade sampler success story.
Corson participated in the TEx program at Claremont last spring. He highly recommends the program and says: “If anyone is slightly interested in trades, this is a fantastic program to get you started.” The TEx program taught him the hands-on skills as well as the soft skills that he uses on a daily basis like: “Tig welding, shop cleanliness and patience.” As part of the program he became interested in metal fabrication and started working at JR Marine. Corson truly enjoys metal fabrication, saying: “it reminds me of being a kid playing with Lego, building parts based on a certain plan, but on a much bigger scale and WAY more rad.” He graduated from Claremont last June and successfully completed his Youth Work in Trade program by February of this year. We were happy to present Corson with this YWIT cheque last month.
JR Marine does more than make aluminum boats, but it is the work on boats that has prompted Corson to enroll in the Marine Service Technician (MST) program at Quadrant Marine. The MST program is “every trade in a boat” and having started in a sampler program Corson will be well prepared.
Needless to say, this is what “success” looks like!
