Students wanting to upgrade high school courses have two options. If they are under 21, they can return to high school for an additional semester or school year, or at any age, they can take upgrading courses at a post-secondary institute. Choosing to return to high school for upgrading is the cheaper of the two options. However, you may be able to secure funding for upgrading high school courses at post-secondary institutes. See section on Financial Support (page 36) in this handbook for financial assistance on upgrading.
Note: With Deputy Minister approval, students 21 or older may be allowed to enroll in high school courses.
You may, for various reasons, choose to immediately enter the workforce upon completing high school. Employers provide training on the job and you may be able to earn a fair wage. Although this may seem appealing to you as you are earning money right out of high school, generally, post-secondary schooling increases your long-term earning potential, career options and advancement opportunities.
Trades are defined as jobs that require hands-on training, skill development and acquisition of knowledge through an apprenticeship program. There are several hundred designated trades in Canada. Most trades fall under the categories of construction, transportation, manufacturing and service. Examples of trades are: electrician, plumber, carpenter, automotive technician, heavy duty technician, metal fabricator, millwright, cook, baker and hairstylist.
Pre-Apprenticeship programs are programs taken in advance of registering for an apprenticeship. Sometimes it may be difficult to find a sponsoring employer and journeyperson to work with you when you are just starting out. By taking a pre-apprenticeship program, you gain knowledge, skills and experience in a given trade, and may be considered a more desirable employee and apprentice. You may also be allowed to challenge the Level 1 Apprenticeship exam.
Apprenticeship programs are for students already registered as apprentices and working in the trade. Beginning apprentices may or may not have taken a pre-apprenticeship program. Typically, most apprenticeship programs take four years to complete. Each of the four years consists of a combination of on-the-job training (minimum of 1560 hours/year), in-school training (approximately 8 weeks/year), and writing/passing the certification exam. There are some apprenticeship programs that only require two or three years of on-the-job training and in-school training. Examples of shorter apprenticeship programs include cook/chef (3 years), hair stylist (2 years) and heavy equipment operator (1 to 2 years).
Admission requirements vary from trade to trade.
See the the ‘Designated Trades’ PDF for the Yukon for more information.
With the approval of school principals and/or guidance counsellors, high school students who meet the entrance requirements for Pre-Apprenticeship programming at Yukon University are eligible to apply as Dual Credit Students. If accepted into a pre-apprenticeship program, students can access training and practical experience offered at Yukon University campuses and receive Grade 12 elective credit(s) that count toward graduation.
Numerous programs and institutes offer specific vocational training. Examples include Canadian Armed Forces, RCMP, City Police (Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton), Colleges of Massage Therapy, Equine Therapy schools, and Vancouver Art Institute. Each program/institute has specific admission requirements.
Note: Most, but not all, of these programs are accredited or recognized. This is an important consideration, as the certification from non-accredited programs may not be recognized or qualify for funding.
Colleges, Institutes of Technology and Universities offer certificate, diploma and undergraduate degree programs. Historically, there was a big difference in the programming each of these post-secondary institutes offered. Today, there is far more overlap. For example, Yukon University offers university, college and trades programming.
Typically, colleges offer certificate and diploma programs aimed to prepare you for a particular career. Most of these college programs require English 12 and a high school graduation. Of the numerous programs available, some examples include: business administration, administrative assistant, paralegal, veterinary assistant, education assistant, home support worker, brewmaster and childcare.
In recent years, colleges have expanded their programming to offer university, trades and technology programming. These programs will have specific admissions criteria.
E.g., Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) and British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)
Institutes of Technology offer programs that are hands-on, applied and technology-based. The admissions requirements vary greatly from program-to-program. The degree programs and many of the technician programs (e.g., Animal Tech, Paramedic and Forest Tech) have similar requirements to the university requirements shown above. The trades programs and some entry-level technology programs require Grade 10 or 11 courses.
University admissions requirements include four to six specific Grade 12 academic courses and the overall average of these courses. Post secondary institutes in B.C. require four academic courses at the Grade 12 level. However, most post-secondary institutes in other Canadian provinces require five or six Grade 12 courses, most of which must be academic. Although there may be required Grade 11 courses, the marks in these Grade 11 courses are not considered in the admissions average. Universities often publish their Competitive Grade Point Average (GPA), which is the approximate average (or last year’s average) required to be considered for admission. There is no guarantee the published Competitive GPA will be the current year’s standard as the competitive average is based on the competitiveness of the applicant pool.
The following are general admission criteria for universities in British Columbia. If students plan on applying to universities in other provinces, they will need additional Grade 12 courses. Be sure to check the specific required courses and minimum percentages for each prospective program.
(e.g., Biology, Geology, Environmental Science, Applied Science)
Note: May require Calculus 12 for some programs, such as Applied Science/Engineering. Many science programs require Chemistry 11 and Physics 11. May require a second language at Grade 11 level or a letter of exemption.
(e.g., Philosophy, History, Journalism, languages)
Note: May require a second language credit at the Grade 11 level. May require Pre-calculus 11 or Foundations 12 as the Math requirement.
(e.g., Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking, Dance)
Note: May require a second language at the Grade 11 level. May require Pre-calculus 11 or Foundations 12 as the Math requirement.
If applying to post-secondary institutes across Canada, there are course equivalencies. For example English 12 from B.C./Yukon is English 30 in Alberta/Sask, English 40S in Manitoba and English 4U in Ontario. Students need to check the provincial course equivalencies if applying to post-secondary institutes from jurisdictions outside B.C./Yukon.
Some post-secondary institutes don’t have application deadlines because they offer seats on a first come first serve basis to those applicants who meet all the criteria. So it is very important to apply early, once the application process opens for the upcoming year. This may be October for the following September.
Some post-secondary institutes have designated a number of spots each year for First Nations students. To be considered for these spots, you need to self-identify as First Nations during the application process and have the required course prerequisites.
If you are applying to post-secondary schools in the US, be aware US schools may look at your GPA from grades 9 through 12. US schools also require you to write a Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or American Testing Assessment (ACT), which measure students readiness for college.
