High school students in the Aspen View Public Schools division will soon have the opportunity to test-drive careers in the skilled trades, thanks to a new educational partnership with Portage College.

At the June 18 board meeting, director of curriculum and student achievement Joe MacIsaac announced that the division received a $50,000 grant to offer an introduction to the trades dual-credit course.

The program will allow students in Grades 10 to 12 to explore four designated trades out of a possible nine. The options include carpentry, electrical work, heavy equipment operation, power engineering, steam fitting, pipe fitting, welding, cooking and hair styling.

MacIsaac said dual-credit courses allow high school students to earn post-secondary credits before graduation. However, he noted these programs often struggle to succeed if they require rigid on-campus attendance that conflicts with a student’s regular high school timetable.

This new partnership aims to remove that specific barrier.

“The labs at Portage College are world-class,” MacIsaac said. He noted that while bringing students to the college campus in Lac La Biche is ideal, the institution is also willing to bring mobile labs and instructors directly to local high schools.

This flexibility is a major advantage for a rural school division, where steep transportation costs and complex scheduling can easily derail specialized learning opportunities.

The course requires 60 hours of total instruction, broken down into 12 hours for a general introduction and 12 hours of hands-on lab work for each of the four chosen trades. MacIsaac said schools might split the difference by teaching the book-learning portions locally and organizing limited bus trips to the college campus for the specialized lab work.

“They are willing to teach groups ranging from two to 30 students if they come on site,” MacIsaac said.

The $50,000 grant must be committed before the end of the current school year and can cover tuition costs, instructor wages, transportation and learning supplies. With five high schools in the division potentially participating, each site could receive about $10,000 to jumpstart their trades programming.

Superintendent Constantine Kastrinos said the provincial government places a high priority on filling employment gaps in these specific trades, making the course highly relevant to the current job market.

Trustee April Bower praised the initiative, noting that geographical distance often prevents rural students from getting a taste of a trade before they commit to a costly post-secondary program.

“Experiencing a trade beforehand gives them a really good chance to make an informed decision about their future,” Bower said.

School principals are currently drafting proposals on how they plan to implement the flexible course in their respective buildings this fall.

Armaan Khanna 

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter