More high school students will have access to hands-on learning opportunities to help them prepare for careers with the expansion of Skilled Trades Centres.
Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Karen Casey announced today, April 3, that seven additional high schools will benefit from the centres.
The province’s Capital Plan, announced in January, included $5 million to expand Skilled Trades Centres across Nova Scotia.
Funding will be allocated during 2017-18 and 2018-19. Discussions with the school boards and school principals will determine what course offerings will be available in each community.
By 2019-20, government plans to have 25 Skilled Trades Centres across the province.
“These new Skilled Trades Centres will help students make stronger links between classroom learning and the world of work,” said Ms. Casey, in an announcement at the Cobequid Education Centre in Truro. “In building their skills and awareness of what they need to be successful in the trades, students will have greater opportunities to follow a career path in apprenticeships and red seal certifications.”
Schools that will become Skilled Trades Centres are:
- Cobequid Education Centre, Truro
- Riverview Rural High School, Coxheath
- Sir John A. Macdonald High School, Upper Tantallon
- Digby Regional High School, Digby
- Richmond Academy, Louisdale
- Amherst High School, Amherst
- Central Kings Rural High School, Cambridge
“This is an opportunity for our school to build on our current offerings, including the Hot Works Lab for welding, with expanded and dedicated space,” said Bill Kaulbach, principal, Cobequid Education Centre. “Students will benefit from small class sizes, significant one-on-one instruction and an ongoing emphasis on safety.”
There are more than 1,000 students across the province enrolled in skilled trades courses.