Career Life Education 10

Career Life Education 10 Post Secondary Education & Training Information

By the end of this presentation you will be able to: • Tell the difference between a certificate, diploma and a degree. • Describe 4 different types of degrees. • Describe what is “apprenticeship”

Definitions • Academic Programs lead to degreesin either general or applied studies at a university, university college or institute. • Vocational, career and technical programs lead to certificates or diplomas at universities, university colleges, colleges or institutions. These applied programs teach specific skills for specific jobs.

Definitions • Apprenticeship is a trade program that leads to certification in a designated trade and allows you to earn $ while you learn. • Entry Level Trades Training (ELTT) programs are offered by colleges and institutes and usually lead to certificate or diploma. They provide students with basic theoretical and practical knowledge in various trades, whether as pre-employment or pre-apprenticeship training. Most programs involve formal, institution-based instruction lasting 3 to 12 months. Various programs are offered through the post-secondary training system (e.g. automotive, carpenter, electrician).

Continuing Education • High school courses are offered through Adult Continuing Education at night school or through Surrey Connect online. • This is for students who missed a pre-requisite or need to improve a grade in order to get into college/university.

Colleges • The colleges in BC are: • Camosun • College of New Caledonia • College of the Rockies • Columbia College • Douglas • Langara • North Island • Northern Lights • Northwest Community College • Okanagan College • Royal Military College of Canada • Selkirk College • Summit Pacific College • Vancouver Career College • Vancouver Community College

Colleges • These institutions offer a wide variety of academic, career, upgrading, technical and vocational programs. • The credentials offered are two years or less (for the most part). • In notable exceptions, some of these institutions have entered into agreements with degree granting institutions to enable their students to complete a degree on site.

Myth • Students in Colleges have less ability to transfer to university than students in universities. Students in both colleges and universities typically are able to transfer up to two years of course work towards a university degree program.

Institutes • The 6 Institutes in BC are: • BCIT (British Columbia Institute of Technology) • Institute of Indigenous Government (IIG) • (As of 2007 is part of the NVIT) • Justice Institute of BC (JIBC) • Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT) • Pacific Marine Training Campus of BCIT • Vancouver Film School

BCIT • Offers a huge range of certificate, diplomas and degrees focused on areas such as: • Business • Media • Information technology • Engineering • Health Sciences • Trades

JIBC • Offers professional training through nine academies and divisions in areas such as: • Corrections • Emergency Management • Fire and Safety • Paramedic • Police. • It has recently introduced its first degrees (Bachelor of Fire and Safety Studies and Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies)

NVIT and IIG • Both of these institutes have an aboriginal focus. • Program offerings typically cover academic, preparatory and career programs up to two years. • Several programs offer university transfer opportunities. • NVIT offers a Bachelor of Social Work Degree through a partnership with Thompson Rivers University.

Myth • Courses at BCIT do not transfer to other colleges and universities in the province. Many BCIT courses transfer. Students should check the BC transfer Guide www.BCTransferGuide.ca to see for themselves.

The universities in BC are: Capilano University Emily Carr University of Art and Design Kwantlen Polytechnic University (Richmond, Surrey, Cloverdale, Langley) Royal Roads University (Victoria) *Only does Masters dgrees Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey) Thompson Rivers University (Kamloops) Trinity Western University University of British Columbia (Vancouver and Kelowna) University of the Fraser Valley University of Northern British Columbia (Prince George) University of Victoria Vancouver Island University Universities

With the exception of Thompson Rivers, these institutions are best known for delivering a wide range of undergraduate degree programs. They also offer a number of professional certificate and diploma programs. In addition UBC, SFU, UVic and UNBC are the only post secondary institutions in BC that offer Doctor or Philosophy (PhD) programs.

Myth • UBC’s campus in North Kelowna (UBC Okanagan) is not fully affiliated with UBC Vancouver. • Students who attend UBC Okanagan do not receive the same credential as those who attend in Vancouver.

University Colleges • University Colleges offer the same range of programs as colleges do, (i.e. academic, career, developmental, technical and vocational). • HOWEVER, they also offer some undergraduate degree programs. • KPU, UFV and VIU used to be university colleges – however, there are no longer any in BC. There are some in Alberta.

Myth • Students who complete their studies at a university-college will be looked on less favorably than university grads in the job market or will be at a disadvantage when applying for graduate studies.

Apprenticeship • Mandatory technical training which an apprentice must take in order to achieve British Columbia Trade Qualification status. This training is offered by colleges, universities and institutes.

Apprenticeship It is a 2-4 year program of on the job training supplemented by in-school instruction lasting from 4 to 10 weeks per year, depending on the trade.

Apprenticeship • Students must be employed in a trade area and become registered through their employer in order to be eligible for this type of training. • The process of becoming enrolled as a formal apprentice is called the “indentureship” process. • Once indentured, an apprentice can expect to earn 50% of a journeyperson’s wage, with yearly incremental increases over the duration of the apprenticeship term.

Apprenticeship • You can become an apprentice while still in high school through the Secondary School Apprenticeship Program and earn up to 16 credits. • The Red Seal program allows qualified tradespersons to practice their trade in any province or territory in Canada where the trade is required to have certified workers, without having to write further examinations. To date, there are 50 trades included in the Red Seal Program on a national basis. http://www.itabc.ca/red-seal-program

Armed Forces PRO: • Training in 100 trades and occupations (eg. Administration, communications, electronics, medicine and dentistry, engineering, mechanics, security and naval operations). • Education paid for, health benefits provided as well as a monthly salary. • Guaranteed career opportunities • Travel CON: • Tough competition in some career choices • Must remain in the armed forces for a period of time • Must be able to travel out of province for education • Rigorous training is mandatory • May be called to serve in areas of conflict (life at risk?)

Degree #1 • Associate Degree: • There are two types of Associate degrees: the Associate of Arts degree and the Associate of Science. To earn an Associate degree, a student must complete 60 semester credits in a clearly defined program of first and second year university transfer courses. These are awarded by colleges, university colleges and institutions.

Degree #2 • Bachelor’s Degree • Bachelor’s degree programs normally take four years of full-time study to complete. Many offer options in particular disciplines as well as more specialized honours option. These are awarded by university colleges, institutes and universities.

Degree #3 • Master’s Degree: • This degree usually involves one or more years of advance study that requires a written thesis based on research. Students studying for a master’s degree are referred to as graduate students.

Degree #4 • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD): • This is the highest university degree and can be earned in most fields of study.

Other Terminology • Admission: Being allowed into an institution, faculty or program once the entrance requirements are met. Some admission space is limited by spaces available and by selection criteria. • Applied Programs: Programs that are designed to lead to employment in a relatively specific field. These programs usually lead to 2 year diplomas, or are less than a year’s duration and lead to certificates • Cooperative Education (COOP): A program that integrates classroom learning with semesters of paid practical work experience. • Prerequisite: Requirement(s) that must be met before students may register in a particular course or program. • Corequisite: A course required to be taken at the same time as another course (i.e. Discussion group or lab).

Discipline: A field of study within a department of postsecondary institution. • Faculty: A department in the postsecondary school (i.e. The Faculty of Science). • LSAT: Law School Admission Test. • MCAT: Medical School Admission Test. • Major: In Universities, the specialization in one discipline, usually during the third and fourth years of study (may also have a Minor). • Term: a segment of time in the academic year (i.e. 4 months) also referred to as a semester

Career Life Education 10