SD52, NWCC and Ridley Terminals partner up for trades program in 2013-14 school year

A local solution may soon be at hand to the need to train Prince Rupert youth and young adults in the trades requirements for the Northwest.

As part of a visit last week to attend the opening of the new elementary school in Port Edward,  the Minister of Education Don McRae released details of an addition to the curriculum of Charles Hays Secondary for the 2013-14 school year.

With skilled workers in demand locally and a prospect for  a number of industrial projects in the region in the years to come, School District 52 will be laying the groundwork for some of the training of those potential tradespeople here in Prince Rupert.

To begin the process of the stay in the community education process, Charles Hays in partnership with Northwest Community College, will offer the Industrial Electrical Foundations and Millwright Foundations ACE-IT courses for youth in the school year starting in September.

Ridley Terminals will assist with the funding for new equipment for the program and will solicit other industry partners such as the Port of Prince Rupert for further funding.

The announcement and review of the plan ahead can be found below.

Trades training in the Prince Rupert school district:

After the school opening, McRae also visited Charles Hays Secondary school in Prince Rupert to hear about their upcoming trades training program. Skilled workers are in high demand due to growing industrial development in the region. Ridley Terminals Inc. took the lead on developing a trades training program and has partnered with the Prince Rupert school district, as well as Northwest Community College, to help students seize these employment opportunities in northern B.C. 

For example, Charles Hays Secondary will offer Industrial Electrical Foundations and Millwright Foundations ACE-IT courses to youth in 2013-14. Ridley Terminals Inc. will help fund new equipment for these programs and solicit other industry partners such as the Port of Prince Rupert for further funding. These opportunities will be open to all eligible students, including many from the District of Port Edward. 

The full press release regarding both the Port Edward school opening and the change to the Charles Hays offerings for September can be found here.

The issue of trades training in Prince Rupert became a hot topic around the city in the Summer of 2012 when Northwest Community College relocated its Electrical program to the main campus in Terrace.

With the announcement of the new program for School District 52 and NWCC, the return of some of that lost trades training may soon be in place.

Update:

With the signing ceremony taking place on January 22nd, a number of media reports on the arrangement were quick to follow.

CFTK-- Skills Training Programs will Benefit Economic Growth in the region
CFTK-- Ridley Skills Training
The Northern View-- Partnership launches major trades-training initiative in Prince Rupert