As high school students around Canada who are in their final year begin to prepare for life after graduation, many are concerned that traditional colleges and universities are not the right fit for them. It’s certainly the case that not every person needs to go to a four-year program based on classroom learning; instead, hundreds of thousands choose to go into skilled trades training.
Skilled trades training makes sense for high school students who want to get into careers that are hands-on, such as becoming glaziers, drywall finishers or painters. In general, the type of education that works best for professionals in these fields is a mixture of written materials and intense, day-to-day work on actual projects.
A few of the benefits of joining a skilled trade training program include:
- Being able to get paid while learning. For instance, apprenticeships with organizations such as IUPAT offer good salaries while you learn. Getting paid to go to school is a great advantage.
- Being able to learn from the best. A great student is a reflection of his or her teacher. Trades instructors love their work, and are happy to provide information on every aspect of it.
- Being able to work at the job for which you’re training. From the beginning of an apprenticeship, students get involved in hands-on activities. This helps bring any classroom- or textbook-based learning to light right away.
- Being able to have a lightning-pinpointed focus. At a liberal arts based college or university, students learn a wide variety of topic areas. Trades schools, on the other hand, base all their curriculum on the trade to be discussed.
- Being able to get a certificate in a short amount of time. Most trades training programs are much shorter than those for college or university degrees.
- Being able to enjoy a high post-graduation placement rate. The placement rates for those who have attended trades training are noticeably higher than for those who are not involved in trades. That’s because tradespeople who possess exceptional skills are always in demand.
If you want to learn more about a trade school, give IUPAT a phone call at (416) 630-9604. We’ll be happy to help you determine the right path for you to take after your high school years are a memory.
