TWO
BIRDS, ONE STONE
BRIDGING THE SKILLS GAP
CONTACT INFORMATION
1) NEWS AROUND THE CFAA
COMING TO A PRO D BULLETIN BOARD NEAR
YOU…
Just when you thought that the excitement of
the new Star Wars release would never be matched, along comes the CFAA Newsflash. Oh sure,
we lack George Lucas' production and promotional budget, but our new fax-out news letter
will no doubt have the reviewers raving. By now, more than 600 BC secondary schools will
have received the Newsflash, as we tirelessly work to promote Applied Academics. So check
for it every two weeks on a Pro D. bulletin board near you!
IMPLEMENTING IT WITH A NEW RESOURCE
The resource binders from the IT Forum are
ready for release. The collaborative results of the almost 100 teachers that attended will
be sent out to Forum participants in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned for more
details.
TAKING A PAGE FROM ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL
If you were studying to be an architect or
engineer, your progress would be evaluated in part by what you could do in the
"design studio". It is there that you could hone your skills by creating
architectural or engineering drawings, models and plans. A new proposed course, Applied
Skills 11 would grant credits for a design studio project.
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2) TWO BIRDS, ONE STONE
You have no doubt heard the expression of
killing two birds with one stone. Well this accurately describes what many BC students are
doing as they earn college credits while gaining their high school diplomas.
The Career Technical Centres initiative is a
project that forges partnerships between school districts and post secondary institutions.
Students receive dual credits through integrated secondary school and first-year college
programs. By the time they earn their BC High School graduation diploma, they are one year
into their college career, and are already accepted into the program of their choice.
The concept is not entirely new. Since 1994,
the University College of the Fraser Valley and the Abbotsford School District have
offered students the opportunity to get a head start on their careers. Currently, 375
students are enrolled at the Abbotsford CTC. The exciting news is that this program will
be spreading throughout the province.
This fall, CTC's will be opening in Kamloops,
Prince George and Nanaimo to service over 600 students. Career programs will include
computer information systems, carpentry, dental assisting, office careers, drafting,
electrical trades, electronics, welding, culinary arts, automotive service technician and
adventure tourism.
"By supporting these centres, we are
helping students build bridges from the classroom to the workplace," explains
Advanced Education Minister, Andrew Petter. Similar to Applied Academics, the CTC's aim is
to emphasize the links between the classroom and the work world, by making school more
relevant. Do CTC's interest you? Want more information? Why not contact Chuck Murray at
the Ministry of Education (Chuck.Murray@gov.bc.ca)?
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3) BRIDGING THE SKILLS GAP
You remember the problem: you can't get a job
without experience, but you can't get experience without a job. Some skills you just don't
gain in school. For some things, there is no replacement for experience.
The information technology industry is not
exempt from this predicament. Technical or business skills are gained at school, while
industry specific skills are earned from work experience. The choice jobs go to those with
both education and experience. The most typical track being taken, is that once the
student has graduated from a post-secondary program, she must then search for an entry
level job to gain the required industry specific skills.
The CFAA is beginning a project with the goal
of offering industry-credentialled certification during high school. This project
recognizes that many of the positions in the IT industry can be filled by high school
graduates with an entry-level industry certification. They could then acquire the work
experience that the industry values so highly. Post-secondary programs could then be taken
concurrently, qualifying them for career advancement opportunities.
Do you have any opinions or insights that may
be helpful to this project? Your feedback is welcome at cfaa0010@bcitvm.bcit.ca.
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4) CONTACT INFORMATION
APPLIED ACADEMICS NEWSWIRE is a service
of the Center for Applied Academics.
Center for Applied Academics
Suite 702 - 555 Seymour Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6B 3H2 CANADA
Phone: 604/412.7634 Fax: 604/688.5924
Toll Free: 1 877 293-CFAA
Internet: www.bced.gov.bc.ca/cfaa
E-mail at cfaa0010@bcitvm.bcit.ca.
Should you have questions about the CFAA
list, please contact:
Bruce Deacon at cfaanews@islandnet.com
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