THE STUDY OF TECHNOLOGY IN CANADA: Landscapes, ‘Lifescapes’, and Curricula

\u2026 an educational program jointly supported by the Ministry of Education and the Industry Training Authority (ITA). Through participation in the SSA program, students earn credit toward secondary school graduation and begin earning work-based training hours toward provincially and nationally recognized industry training program credentials. Individuals will complete an industry training program and become a certified tradesperson by combining both work-based training and technical training in an apprenticeship program. Typically industry training programs consist of 80% work-based training under the guidance of a certified tradesperson or equivalent and 20% technical training. A typical apprenticeship program takes four years to complete. (British Columbia Ministry of Education, 2007a, p. 1) In British Columbia, all students must take a course called Planning 10, a course in life skills, to graduate from secondary school. The four curricular organisers of this course are: Graduation Program; Education and Careers; Health; and Finances (British Columbia Ministry of Education, 2007b, p. 4). The Graduation Program organiser is comprised of a number of components, one of which is called Focus Areas. It \u201Cprovides a means for students to consider a broad range of education and career options, and to see how their secondary school course selections can lead to specific post-secondary education and training programs and career options\u201D (p. 53). There are eight Focus Areas: (1) Business and Applied Business; (2) Fine Arts, Design, and Media; (3) Fitness and Recreation; (4) Health and Human Services; (5) Liberal Arts/Humanities; (6) Science and Applied Science; (7) Tourism, Hospitality, and Foods; and (8) Trades and Technology. ACE IT and SSA programmes can be used to complete the Focus Areas requirement.