SMARTJOBS


Earning while learning Think about apprenticeship Conrad Smith S


ome people learn by studying and some people learn by doing. Tat’s what apprenticeship is all about.


Today, this method of learning is largely


restricted to careers such as in the trades, technical jobs, personal care and cooking, but in the past, this method of on-the-job training covered a far wider field than it does today. Nurses originally served as apprentices,


learning on the job in hospitals across the country, a practice that has now dis- appeared. In a way, though, doctors too served as apprentices during their period of hospital internship. Interestingly, both accountants and law-


yers still practice a form of apprenticeship, known as “articling”, where new graduates work under the supervision of an accred- ited practitioner aſter they graduate. Universities, too, use a form of ap-


prenticeship to promote scholars. Masters create their thesis under the oversight of a supervisor in order to earn a doctorate. At one time in Canada, there was even a


system of apprenticeship for soldiers, who learned skilled trades in the military. Earn while you learn


Apprenticeship allows you to earn while


you learn, usually over a two- to four-year period. You spend 80 per cent to 85 per cent of your time on the job (paid work) with the balance in the classroom. Te variety of occupations and oppor-


tunities for apprentices are tremendous. In Manitoba there are over 50 skilled trades to choose from, in everything from techni- cians to truck driving and from cooks to carpenters. In Saskatchewan there are 46 trades plus another 20 or so sub-trades to enroll in; in Alberta, 84; in Nova Scotia over 60. In Ontario, there are over 130 skilled trades listed just at George Brown College; in B.C., there are just under 150 trades listed, and so it goes right across the country, with each province having its specialties, depending on regional cir- cumstances. In some provinces, such as B.C., appren-


tices may be eligible for a living allowance or other special assistance. In Manitoba, for instance, local financial assistance may come through a system of bursaries and awards. Service Canada offers apprenticeship


grants of up to $4,000 a year in one of the Red Seal trades. Red Seal apprentices can work anywhere in Canada. On the other side of the coin, there are a


Indenture imported from Europe


When America was settled, craft workers coming to the New World from England and other European countries brought with them the practice of indenture and the system of master- apprentice relationships. Indenture derived its name from the English practice of tearing indentions or notches in duplicate copies of apprenticeship forms. This uneven edge identified the copy retained by the apprentice as a valid copy of the form retained by the master. In those days, both the original and the copy of the


indenture were signed by the master and the parent or guardian of the apprentice. Most of the apprentices were 14 years of age or younger. By comparison, today most apprentices begin training between the ages of 18 and 24. The modern apprenticeship agreement is signed by the employer; by a representative of a joint management-labor apprenticeship committee, or both; and by the apprentice. If the apprentice is a minor, the parent or guardian also signs


SMART careers | Early Spring 25


number of general fees, tuition and book fees that can add up to anywhere from $2,035 to $2,735 in Manitoba. How to become an apprentice To get started you need to have a basic


level of formal education; this varies form province to province, and in some provinces you may be eligible to receive some upgrading to qualify. An alterna- tive entry to apprenticeship is to find an employer wiling to work with you. Is apprenticeship right for you? If you are the kind of person who


has to struggle to read a book or have difficulty in listening to instructions, apprenticeship may be a viable option. Some people, as stated above, have a bet- ter time learning by doing. Tis is not a bad thing and, indeed, it can produce a more skilled worker in the short term because you have close supervision and don’t have to make the transition from the theory to the practical, a transi- tion that not everyone manoeuvres successfully. Apprentices also oſten end up in busi-


ness for themselves, mentoring other apprentices and teaching them the skills they learned in the same manner.


S


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32