ACE IT - Accelerated Credit Enrolment In Industry Training

ACE IT is an industry training program for high school students. Through an ACE IT program, you can take courses that will give you both high school graduation credits and a head start towards completion of an apprenticeship program.

ACE IT programs are developed and offered as partnerships between school districts and post-secondary institutions, and classes are often taught at colleges. Local employers also get involved in the development of ACE IT programs, and students who complete these programs typically have very good success in finding employment.

Once you successfully complete an ACE IT program you'll get credit for at least level one of the technical training (in-class) component of your Industry training Program. And through work experience placements that are usually part of the program, you'll get credit towards the on-the-job component of your training as well. Or, enroll in both ACE IT and the Secondary School Apprenticeship program and you'll be well on your way to completing your first year of post-secondary education by the time you graduate from high school.

C of Q - Certificate of Qualification

BC Provincial trade certificate – not inter provincial.

Ellis Chart:

The Ellis Chart is a comparative chart of apprentice training programs across Canada produced by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) in partnership with the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA). It is the only document of its kind in Canada that allows an interprovincial overview of the 13 Canadian apprenticeship systems. It represents a key product that provides governments, industry and educational institutions with data on more than 300 designated trades, more specifically on training, certification, education/entrance requirements and prior learning assessment and accreditation process

Gold Seal Certification:

The CCA Gold Seal Certification Program is a national certification program for construction Project Managers, Superintendents, Estimators and Owners’ Project Managers. Certification is based on the candidate's education, experience and their ability to satisfy the rigorous standards of the Program. This may mean the successful completion of a Gold Seal exam.

The Gold Seal Certificate was developed by the industry for the industry and is a voluntary certification program for the individual. The Certificate signifies that the individual has attained a nationally recognized level of experience and competence as a Project Manager, Superintendent, Estimator or Owners’ Project Managers.

For the individual - the Gold Seal Certificate is a declaration of skill and competence that is recognized by the construction industry across the country. The Certificate will enhance mobility and professional development of construction managers.

For the contractor - employing Gold Seal Certified managers is a statement regarding the professionalism and commitment of the firm to construction management excellence. A Gold Seal Certificate assists employers in recruiting capable construction managers.

ITA – Industry Training Authority

The ITA oversees B.C.'s industry training and apprenticeship system, providing a skilled workforce for industry and career development opportunities for British Columbians.

Established in 2004 to oversee and expand B.C.'s industry training and apprenticeship system, the ITA works with industry and employers, trainees and apprentices, labour unions and training providers to meet industry's current and future training needs.

ITO - Industry Training Organization

Industry Training Organizations are the mechanism by which the ITA is giving industry lead responsibility for improving industry training in a specific sector. They are not-for-profit legal entities with responsibility for designated industry training programs. ITOs are established by industry, and are accountable to and co-funded by the ITA.

PRC – Project Review Committee

The PRC members will ideally be familiar with the trade under review, but may not necessarily be experts in it. PRC members are often supervisor or manager level individuals who can make a higher level of assessment of the impact that proposed changes to the trade may have on their company, their union, current or new apprentices, growth of the trade in BC, etc. In simplified terms, the PRC is concerned with the direction in which the recommendations will take the trade, as opposed to generating the detailed recommendations, and the PRC can identify any possible unintended consequences resulting from the recommendations going to the ITA.

PRC qualifications: Project Review Committee members are expected to be familiar with the specific trade(s) involved and be familiar with apprenticeship activities at their workplace or within their respective companies or organizations; they will typically be supervisors or managers, or hold positions of similar responsibility and possess significant relevant experience, if not actual experience in the trade. Because all of the trades under review in 2008/2009 are ‘mechanical’ trades, and overlap each other to some extent, RTO anticipates that some PRC members will be senior maintenance supervisors or managers with significant exposure to all four trades and a firm understanding of the role these trades play in industry.

Red Seal Program

The Red Seal Program was established to provide greater mobility across Canada for skilled workers. Through the program, apprentices who have completed their training and certified journeypersons, are able to obtain a Red Seal endorsement on their Certificates of Qualification and Apprenticeship by successfully completing an Interprovincial Standards Examination.

The program encourages standardization of provincial and territorial apprenticeship training and certification programs. The Red Seal allows qualified tradespersons to practice the trade in any province or territory in Canada where the trade is designated without having to write further examinations. To date, there are 49 trades included in the Red Seal Program on a national basis.

Legislation permits provinces and territories to designate trades and develop apprenticeship programs for their own requirements. Thus, in excess of 300 apprenticeship programs are available across Canada. The Ellis Chart, a comparative chart of apprentice training programs across Canada, is produced by HRSDC in collaboration and consultation with the provinces and territories and provides training and certification details for all of these apprenticeable programs.

RTO – Resource Training Organization

Resource Training Organization was established in 2007 to oversee the management and development of apprenticeship training for the resource sector in BC. RTO represents a cross-sectoral group of employers in the mining and smelting, oil and gas, pulp and paper, solid wood and heavy shipbuilding and repair sectors.

SME – Subject Matter Experts

SME qualifications: The SMEs should be currently active in the trade they represent. In most cases they will have a Red Seal rating and at least five years of experience, ensuring strong technical competency and understanding of the requirements of the trade. They should also be familiar with the B.C. apprenticeship system, normally by having completed an apprenticeship in the trade themselves.

SSA - Secondary School Apprenticeship

Secondary School Apprenticeship is a program that provides students in Grades 10 to 12 the opportunity to start an apprenticeship while completing secondary school.

Some students have the skills to begin an apprenticeship while they are in high school. Many are already working in a trade and need only to formalize their relationship with their employer.

By participating in a Secondary School Apprenticeship program a student may commence working in the trade, earn up to 16 high school credits when they have a formal Industry Training Authority (ITA) agreement signed by their employer and receive a Secondary School Apprenticeship certificate upon graduation.

YES2IT – Youth Exploring Skills to Industry Training

YES 2 IT – or Youth Exploring Skills to Industry Training - is a joint initiative of the Industry Training Authority (ITA) and the Ministry of Education (MOE).

YES 2 IT is designed to increase awareness of trades amongst younger students, those in grades 6 to 9, as well as their parents, educators and communities. The program provides an opportunity for youth to have an engaging, hands-on experience applying some of the skills used in a variety of trade occupations while making connections with tradespersons in their communities. In addition, classroom learning activities support the hands-on experience and parental involvement increases education about career opportunities in the trades.

Funding and resources are available to schools, industry associations and other community organizations that successfully submit a proposal to hold a YES 2 IT activity in their community.