High School Students Cooking Up College Credits before Graduation

Students at Rossland Secondary School just finished earning college credits in the culinary trade while working towards their high school diploma.

Rossland's duo-credit cooking program is one of many ACE-IT (Accelerated Credit Enrolment in Industry Training) trades programs made available by Selkirk College to West Kootenay high school students. ACE-IT enables students interested in pursuing a career in a trade to earn post-secondary credits in that trade before they complete high school, which has the added bonus of saving them tuition fees as well.

"ACE-IT began because the Industry Training Authority identified a shortage of trade's people," explained Frank Marisco, district coordinator of ACE-IT and School District No. 8 trades coordinator. "One of the ways to address the shortfall was to give high school students a head start (in the trades) by offering Level 1 trades training in Grade 12."

The timing couldn't be better. Career opportunities for the students involved in the ACE-IT cooking program have been virtually unlimited. From sophisticated working arrangements under Red Seal chefs to job opportunities in camps and at world-class resorts, these well-trained students are finding the doors to the hospitality and food industries wide open.

"The labour shortage in the hospitality sector is considerable," said Bob Falle, chair of Hospitality and Tourism at Selkirk College. "We have (culinary professionals) phoning every week looking for staff. The good news is that wages have gone up . . . the career possibilities and opportunities for advancement are endless."

Rossland Secondary School was chosen to host the ACE-IT cooking program because of its excellent kitchen facilities as well as the tremendous growth the hospitality industry has experienced in the region. The Rossland-based program was open to students from Castlegar and Trail as well.

Jan Morton, director of continuing education for School District No. 20 said the ACE-IT cooking program is not only an excellent option for students who want to pursue a culinary career, but also it holds many benefits for students who want to pursue other options after high school.

"Even the students who don't carry on with their trade can set themselves up for a great work opportunity while they pursue other educational paths," said Morton, adding that ACE-IT offers a hands-on learning style that can bring out the best in young people.

"I always tell parents that some kids will find success in whatever they choose to do or wherever they choose to go. But there are also kids who thrive in different environments. Some of the kids who come into the trades program . . . have a chance to do some hands-on learning, it engages them and they blossom."

Selkirk College's Professional Cook Training program offers three levels of the provincially standardized cooking program. The ACE-IT program is currently being restructured on a provincial level to allow high school students to earn even more college credits towards their apprenticeship, which means that high school ACE-IT students will soon have the potential to earn both Level 1 and Level 2 training before completing high school.

First published on June 04, 2008