The provincial government is forking over more than $700,000 to give British Columbia students better access to trades and technology training.
The money will be spread through 41 different provincial school districts, including many in the Okanagan, and be available through two grant programs worth almost $728,000.
One of the grant programs, the Shoulder Tappers Program, will help high schools bring in top-notch recruitment specialists to mentor students.
Along with encouragement and advice, the mentors will connect students to workshops and one-the-job experience in skilled trades and technology-oriented careers, like aircraft engineering and heavy-duty mechanics.
Each district awarded a Shoulder Tapper grant got $17,500.
Part of the $728,000 is also coming through the Skills Training Access Grants. The grants pump money into school district to help students get training in fields like carpentry,coding and culinary arts.
Some of that training comes from mobile training units that are crisscrossing the province visiting students. The units run small skills-training classes for students.
Skilled Training Access Grants were for $5,000. Several district received both grants this year.
Minister of Education Mike Bernier said both grant programs will “provide B.C. students with excellent opportunities to get training earlier so they can be ahead of the game when they
graduate and start looking for work in the trades and technology industry."
