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News item – Students get head start in Chemainus ACE IT carpentry program

Think of Accelerated Credit Enrollment in Industry Training (ACE IT) as an apprenticeship head start for high school students. Through an ACE IT program, students can take courses that will give them both high school graduation credits and credit towards completion of an apprenticeship program. Students Travis Powell, Cody Hill and Billie Sitar are registered in the (ACE IT) carpentry program at Chemainus secondary school, and they spoke recently to the district’s board of education about the experience.

“ACE IT is huge for breaching the gap between school and work,” Cody told trustees.

“The course is awesome,” said Billie, who came from CVOLC so she could enroll in the program. ACE IT has given her more confidence in math, she said. “There’s lots of it; we start with math every day.”

“It’s great knowing I’ll have a qualification at the end of all this,” added Travis.

Through ACE IT these students and others in the program get a jump start on their first year of in-school or technical training of an apprenticeship program. Chemainus is now in its fourth year of running the program that services students from the entire school district. The number of students in any one year has varied between 17 and seven.

The program provides students with an opportunity to begin training in the carpentry field while still attending school, explains Chemainus teacher Demetreos Bourodemos who came to Chemainus three and a half years ago and has re-vitalized woodwork and carpentry at the school.

“Students learn basic and advanced skills both on and off the job site under the direction of a Red Seal carpenter teacher as well as excellent on the job direction from employers – this year in Saltair,” adds Chemainus principal Ron Nunweiler. ACE IT combines secondary and post secondary programming and provides dual credit options. Students who complete the school program successfully can choose to move directly into Level 2 at Victoria’s CamosunCollege.

During the course, the students have visited Cowichan Bay saw mill to see how the wood they use is processed and have constructed sheds and dog houses and learned hands-on about construction techniques like rafters and shingles.

The students appreciate that the program is highly regarded and sought after. They said they feel privileged to be part of it.

After earning their apprenticeship, Canadian carpenters can choose the additional interprovincial Red Seal qualification that allows them to practice anywhere in Canada.