Clearwater Secondary School and Thompson Rivers University (TRU) are partnering in the North Thompson Valley by offering the TRU Foundation Carpentry Program, facilitated at the high school in Clearwater.
There are 12 students enrolled in the program in Clearwater: nine high school students and three community members all receiving hands-on building and theory training as they work towards their level 1 certification in carpentry by building a home. CSS woodworking trades instructor Dayton Fraser explained the TRU trades partnership to Black Press.
“Although at the high school I teach woodworking, I’m also our trades and transitions coordinator, so I sign kids up to go to TRU in their Grade 12 year. Right now I have three students in Clearwater enrolled in TRU, with two of them doing their electrical and one just finishing up his automotive foundation. It’s the same program they would take at TRU except it’s happening out here in Clearwater. They stay at home.
“We’ve done the welding trailer programs for years now. It’s also a foundation program. We ran a similar carpentry foundation program back in 2012 where the students built the cabins at the research facility in Wells Gray Park, also for TRU. That was also a foundation program, with Brent Buck organizing the program for the CSS students, and it was overseen and taught by a TRU instructor.”
Fraser is also a facilitator within the high school, coordinating students and vetting all the applications, promoting the programs, and sending off all the written applications for processing at TRU.
Building the home in Clearwater is a partnership with Borrow Enterprises and TRU. Doug Borrow is sponsoring the home build program just off Clearwater Valley Road.
“Without him taking the chance on these students they wouldn’t have been able to build this project ‘at home’ in Clearwater,” says Fraser. “The project started for the CSS TRU students mid-February after the foundation and floor was completed by a local contractor.
“This will be Borrow Enterprises’ fifth home in the subdivision off Clearwater Valley Road. We are very grateful to have Borrow Enterprises willing to sponsor this, which is a great opportunity for these students to then move directly into apprenticeships and certification.”
Tim Kasten has been teaching the trades program as a carpentry instructor for the past 10 years at TRU. He travels to Clearwater every week to teach the Level 1 carpentry program, which is being sponsored by Borrow Enterprises locally.
“The program runs four days a week in Clearwater, with three days of practical, hands-on building on site at the home being built there and one day of theory in the classroom at the high school,” says Kasten. “These students could be a journeyman carpenter by the time they are 21 years old quite easily. Even if they chose not to continue with carpentry, at least this is giving them some good life skills and some practical experience for building a house.”
Kasten would like to see this program continue in Clearwater. “The vision would be that we could do this every other year in Clearwater. This allows those young high school kids the opportunity to get exposed to an in-demand, high-paying trade while they are still in high school and goes a long way towards their personal success. It’s exciting to be a part of this program.”
If students pass this program they will have their Level 1 carpentry, then move into a four-year apprenticeship with a company as they work towards their Red Seal Certification.
TRU Foundation programs provide the knowledge and skills needed for entry into an industry occupation, and the technical training component of an apprenticeship program. This partnership between TRU and School District 73 is viewed as a bridge between secondary and post-secondary education and training, which assists in transitioning into the workforce.
The programs invite students in Grades 10 and 11 to apply for Youth Train In Trades Programs at TRU in their Grade 12 year. If accepted into the program, the school district covers the tuition and the students only pay the ancillary fees, a significant saving, especially when some of the programs are based out of their hometown high school.
Kasten sees more young women pursuing careers in trades.
“My last class I had four women enrolled, and I love to see women exploring that opportunity and excelling in trades. If you are in Grade 11 or 12 you can apply for this university program while in high school.”
Additional Trades and Transitions programs sponsored by School District 73 and facilitated through high schools in the district in partnership with TRU also offer programs in construction, mechanical, culinary arts, and horticulture trades.
To learn more about the sponsored programs visit https://tnt.sd73.bc.ca/en/youth-train-in-trades.aspx.
