Newcomers to Canada who want to pursue a career in the trades will get some extra help starting this September, thanks to a new program at Vancouver Island University (VIU).
Called Trades Pathways for Newcomers, the cohort-based bridging program supports newcomers looking for a career in the trades by ensuring they have the skills, knowledge and supports to successfully transition into the educational programs that will get them there.
More people are now able to acquire new or upgraded post-secondary skills or knowledge in English, math and science to meet their career goals through Adult Basic Education and English Language Learning Pathways at public post-secondary institutions, including Vancouver Island University (VIU).
Everyone deserves a rewarding career that pays well and makes them happy. For many people, the path to that career includes university education – a path that may seem out of reach to some. Maybe they didn’t do well in high school. Maybe they face language barriers. Maybe they get overwhelmed by the thought of managing post-secondary education. Maybe they worry that they won’t be motivated to complete a program.
Vancouver Island University (VIU) welcomes learners of all different ages and backgrounds.
Sometimes learners need a little extra help to make their educational goals a reality, which is why the University has run a Giving Tuesday campaign for the past eight years. Giving Tuesday is a global movement to give back during the busy holiday shopping season.
“If you have an academic goal you want to achieve, we’ll get you there.”
That’s the simple and straightforward message from Jean Maltesen, Dean of Academic and Career Preparation, for those who enroll in VIU’s Adult Basic Education (ABE) Program.
And while the message may be simple enough, there are numerous ways it can be tailored to help individual students pursue their educational journey.
But who is ABE for? What are some common misconceptions? And what are the benefits of considering ABE in the first place?
DUNCAN, BC: Vantaishia (Taish) Tommy knows exactly where she wants to be when she has finished her educational journey – protecting the rights and habitats of animals of all kinds and sizes around the world.
“At the orchard I work at, my boss’s son has dyslexia and his mother fought tirelessly for him to ensure he got the proper supports in school,” says Eric Evans. “I wonder sometimes how my life would be different if I had someone like that in my life.”
“Everyone who is here has struggled at some point and this is our second chance to build a better life,” says Julianne McCullough, Adult Basic Education (ABE) student at Vancouver Island University (VIU).
Jolene Trigg, one of first students participating in the first cohort of the CETP, says her disability presented her with an opportunity to create a unique mobile yoga company.