Nicola Valley Institute of Technology: Bridging to Trades

What challenges have you faced and how were these overcome?

Participants have issues with personal well-being, personal lives, trauma, addiction, poverty related social problems. Low self-esteem. Little confidence in their abilities.

What are 3 key lessons you learned from developing or delivering your initiative? What advice from those lessons would you share with others?

It is important to have a better tracking system established for past participants to deem what their next steps will be. When we are done in a community, we are done. We need to have an established follow-up mechanism to ensure that students have the necessary supports to pursue their desired trade.

Which Essential Skills are covered by the initiative? Reading Text Document Use Numeracy Oral Communications Working with Others Thinking Skills Computer Use

How are the Essential Skills integrated into your initiative?

Bridging to Trades includes BTES-060- Essential Skills course. This course supports students to develop and increase essential skills in reading text, applying numeracy applications, and using documents relevant to the curriculum in trades and mine training programs. This course also helps prepare students to acquire test-taking strategies relevant to their programs. Essential skills are woven throughout all other courses.

12 week program includes the following courses:
• BTEL-060 – Bridging to Trades Electrical- This course provides the skills and theory required for entrance to the electrical trade. Students learn the roles and responsibilities faced by electricians on a daily basis.

• BTER-060 – Bridging to Trades Employment Readiness- Trades orientation, workplace protocols, and employer expectations are covered. This course provides opportunities to develop skills in resume writing, interviewing, and other job-search related areas. Necessary interpersonal skills will be taught.

• BTES-060 – Essential Skills This course supports students to develop and increase essential skills in reading text, applying numeracy applications, and using documents relevant to the curriculum in trades and mine training programs. This course also helps prepare students to acquire test-taking strategies relevant to their programs.

• BTMW-060 – Bridging to Trades Millwright- Basic theory and related information along with hands-on shop practice will enable students to become familiar with basic millwright duties. This course also introduces students to metric and imperial measuring instruments. Employment skills and workplace safety emphasized.

• BTPT-060 – Bridging to Trades Piping Trades – Students learn to fit pipe materials together as well as some basic plumbing procedures. Students are required to join pipes using thread cutting machines. The piping material will be both metal and plastic. Students are introduced to the basic plumbing procedures required to perform tasks such as changing fixtures and assembling plumbing apparatus. Employment skills and workplace safety emphasized.

• BTWD-060 – Bridging to Trades Welding- This course offers students the skills and theory required for entrance to the welding trade. Students are shown how welding skills are useful in many trades. They learn to cut metals and join them by the use of welding process using general welding equipment. Employment skills and workplace safety emphasized.

• STSC-101 – Strategies for Success 101- This course is a hybrid incorporating both online and classroom teaching. It introduces the students to college academic culture and connects them to the resources that will aid in their success. The course covers a variety of topics including: test-taking strategies, note-taking, time management, online research, student responsibilities and ethics, learning styles, and setting educational goals.

Additional offerings include:
• Occupational First Aid Level 1
• Transportation Endorsement
• Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHIMIS)
• H2S Alive (upon request)

How do you assess participant Essential Skills?

TOWES, ITA on-line ES assessment tool

What are the components of the initiative? Occupation-specific skills training Academic upgrading Occupational certifications and/or licensing Life skills Career and/or educational planning Job search services Cultural, language, and tradition awareness and/or training

How do you support participant success in the program? Access to other in-house services Other

How was Indigenous culture integrated into the program content or delivery?

Cultural components of the program include regular Circle Talks based on First Nations traditions and support from the local First Nations community, particularly its Elders.

Who are your partners, and what is their involvement in the initiative?

Interior Salish Employment & Training Society	Program and participant support Recruit, screen , refer  and support local students
BC Aboriginal mine training Assoc	Program and participant support Recruit, screen , refer  and support local students
Nuu-chah-nulth Employment Training Program and Vast Alternative School	Program and participant support Recruit, screen , refer  and support local students
Northeast Aboriginal Skills and Employment Program (NEASEP)	Program and participant support Recruit, screen , refer  and support local students
1st Nations Communities For example: (not complete list) ·       Gwet’in First Nations ·       Nuxalk  College: Bella Coola –Nuxalk First Nations, Bella Coola, BC ·       Seabird College :Stó:lō Nation , Aggazi,BC ·       Saulteau First Nations: Chetwynd, BC ·       Musqueam First Nations: Vancouver, BC	Host program – Recruit ,screen  and refer  students: support students during and after program   Provide cultural components through  community Elders