ACA Lends Support for Dual Credit Programs

Alberta Construction Association on May 7, 2018 sent a letter to the government regarding member support for the dual credit programs. Through the education ministry leadership, progress has been made with dual-credit programs, including the Alberta Dual Credit Framework. Dual-credit accelerates initiation of apprenticeship through earning post-secondary credits while in high school.

The recent review by ACA indicates the need for more districts to offer construction trades dual-credit options, and to provide more visibility for the options that do exist.

ACA urged the government to consider the following recommendations:

• Add specific criteria for establishment and maintenance of dual-credit programs as a pillar within the Accountability Framework. Specifically, ACA would welcome a new measure of the growth in student enrollment in construction trades-related dual credit programs.
• Dedicate funding to enhance the Teacher Bridging Programs to encourage teachers to pursue their apprenticeship training, and to encourage tradespeople to pursue their teacher certification. This may be an area to encourage industry participation in joint fundraising for scholarships and / or bursaries.
• Encourage partnerships with industry to support the school district with resources and to support RAP placements for students enrolled in these programs.

To read the letter in full click here.

To read the Construction Dual Credit backgrounder click here.