By Whitney Sharp

Apprenticeship training in British Columbia can really pay off. The Ministry of Advanced Education recently released the outcomes of a survey of over 2,800 former apprenticeship students in the province and the results speak for themselves.  Of those surveyed, 91% of traditional apprenticeship students were employed, and 98% those employed, were working full time.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) offers in-school apprenticeship training for a range of exciting trades. Apprenticeships combine on-the-job experience with in-school training sessions that ranges from a few weeks to several months. KPU’s Tech campus, located in Cloverdale, is dedicated to the range of trades and technology programs offered at the university and features some of the latest industry-standard equipment.

Survey trends also indicated a high satisfaction among trades students with 94% of respondents stating the knowledge and skills they gained through their training has been very or somewhat useful in performing their job, while 92% says their employment was very or somewhat related to their in-school training.

The BC government invests more than $94 million annually in industry training through the Industry Training Authority. In July, the provincial government also announced an investment of $3 million at KPU. The substantial investment will provide funding for skills training for over 1,200 high-priority trades seats including welding, automotive servicing, electrical, millwright, and carpentry. And the demand for trades is expected to continue climbing. The 2025 Labour Market Outlook forecasts a demand for the trades over the next 10 years, with BC expecting up to one million job openings through to 2025.

In the past three decades, Kwantlen Polytechnic University has opened the door to success for more than 200,000 students. For more information about KPU programs including the trades visit kpu.ca or contact study@kpu.ca