Curricular Programs

• Health / Career and Life Management;
  https://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/curriculum/bySubject/ healthpls/default.asp

  This core program was designed to help students acquire knowledge and develop skills, attitudes and habits that will contribute to their physical, mental and social well-being, and enable them to respond to the opportunities and expectations in the world of work.

• Career and Technology Studies (CTS);
  https://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/curriculum/bySubject/cts/

  These optional courses involving twenty-two strands (e.g., agriculture, forestry, foods, logistics, mechanics) were designed for junior and senior high school students to help them develop skills they can apply in daily living now and in the future; investigate career options and make effective career choices; use technology effectively and efficiently; apply and reinforce what has been learned in other subject areas; and prepare for entry into the workplace or further learning.

• Career Internship 10;
  https://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/curriculum/bySubject/ others/carintern.pdf

  This optional program was designed to prepare students for entry into a trade, technology or service occupation with a structured learning plan that includes entry in an apprenticeship and enrollment in the Registered Apprenticeship Program (see below for further information about RAP). It was designed to ensure that students discover their career interests and aptitudes in meaningful work activities, situated in community-based work sites.

• Knowledge and Employability Courses;
  https://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/curriculum/bySubject/ ke/default.asp

  Knowledge and Employability (K&E) courses were designed for students who learn best through experiences that integrate essential and employability skills in occupational contexts. The K&E courses provide students opportunities to enter into employment or continue their education. For more information see the guide to implementation at http://www.learnalberta.ca/content-teacher/kes/index.html?launch=true.

• Work Experience 15-25-35;
  https://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/curriculum/bySubject/ others/workexp.pdf

  The Work Experience 15-25-35 optional courses were developed to provide students with experiential, off-campus, community-based learning activities as part of a planned school program under the cooperative supervision of a teacher-coordinator and employer. Work experience courses also provide opportunities for the school and its community to combine resources to further students' personal development, career planning and employability skills.

• Green Certificate Program;
  https://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/curriculum/ bySubject/green/green.asp

  The Green Certificate Program is a joint program between Alberta Education and Alberta Agriculture and consists of a series of 21 agricultural credit courses in seven primary agricultural specializations based on Agriculture, Food and Rural Development's Green Certificate.

• Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP);
  http://www.tradesecrets.gov.ab.ca/index.html?page=working_in_alberta/learning_rap.html

  RAP, introduced in 1991, is a joint venture of Alberta Education, Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT), and Alberta Advanced Education with other key players including CAREERS the Next Generation, employers, schools and students. The program provides students (from grade ten on) with opportunities to earn credit toward journeyperson certification and a high school diploma at the same time.

Other Resources

• Alberta Education; Unlocking Potential: Key Components of Programming for Students with Learning Disabilities, Key 6: Transition Planning; 2002; Retrieved August 2007 This resource identifies the key principles for effective transition planning for students with disabilities (i.e., planned, collaborative and comprehensive) and describes several strategies for supporting transitions during the senior high school years (e.g., exploring career options, encouraging students to take academically challenging programs, helping students and parents learn about accommodations and assistive technologies, and exploring services available through the community and post-secondary institutions).
• Alberta Education; Looking to the Future: Chapter 8 Planning for Transitions; Retrieved August 2007 This resource articulates the importance of developing a plan for post-school adult life for students with diverse (special) needs that considers their dreams and interests and identifies and begins to coordinate the services, programs and supports that will be required before the student leaves high school. Sample strategies to support the transition to post-secondary education for students with diverse needs are also described. A complementary resource is also available for parents. See Alberta Education; The Learning Team: A Handbook for Parents of Children with Special Needs, Chapter 5 Planning for Transitions; 2003; Retrieved August 2007
• Donaldson et al (University of Calgary); Literature Review: Student Transition; 2006; Retrieved August 2007 This review summarizes what the research says relative to effective strategies to support student transitions including the transition from high school to further education or work. The review states that youth experience more successful transitions when: they have opportunities to develop and practice job-entry competencies and employability skills; there are strong linkages between education and employment through work-experience programs; when there is good communication among educators and employers; and when relationships among students and staff are more individual when clarifying employment goals.

Alberta Advanced Education and Technology
http://www.advancededandtech.gov.ab.ca The Alberta Advanced Education and Technology web site offers information of interest to students preparing for their transition from high school to post-secondary education and employment, particularly those sections that provide information about post-secondary education (e.g., institutions, admission requirements, tuition fees, student financial assistance), apprenticeship and industry training, and career planning resources. For students considering further post-secondary education at one of Alberta's many institutions, it is helpful to visit the "prospective students" sections of each institution's web site (e.g., Red Deer College; Northern Alberta Institute of Technology; University of Calgary; University of Alberta ). For a complete listing of all post-secondary institutions in Alberta, visit http://www.advancededandtech.gov.ab.ca/college/postsecsystem/ postsecinst/postsecinst.asp.

Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training: TradeSecrets
http://www.tradesecrets.gov.ab.ca/

The TradeSecrets web site is designed to help those interested in pursuing a career in the skilled trades as well as those interested in employing trades people. The site provides information about:

• how to find work as an apprentice in Alberta (e.g., job search and interview tips, job markets);
• how to finance a trades education (e.g., application and eligibility information for scholarships, awards, and/or financial assistance);
• the Registered Apprenticeship Program and the Youth Apprenticeship Project;
• recent publications and news releases related to apprenticeship and industry training (e.g., trade profile/designation revisions, qualification exam dates, regulation amendments);
• recent facts and statistics about designated trades and occupations in Alberta, and
• fifty-seven designated trades and occupations including descriptions of: duties, working conditions, necessary and desired skills and abilities, employment and advancement opportunities, required apprenticeship training and applicable Alberta-based programs.

Alberta Learning Information Service
http://www.alis.gov.ab.ca

Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS) is the provincial gateway for career, learning and employment information and services in Alberta. The site is provided through a provincial government partnership of Alberta Employment, Immigration and Industry, Alberta Education, and Alberta Advanced Education and Technology.

The ALIS web site provides information to help Albertans with: career planning; post-secondary education and training; educational funding; job searching, and identifying labour market trends and workplace issues. Clicking on the career, learning and employment tabs takes web site visitors to a broad range of information including:

• Career services resources (e.g., Alberta Career Information Hotline; Central Alberta Career Prep; Youth Connections; WORKink);
• Career planning tools (e.g., e-Resumé Review Service; CAREERinsite; Steps to Career/Life Planning; Getting on Track Career Planner; The Way We Work);
• Occupational information (e.g., OCCinfo (Alberta Occupational Profiles); WAGEinfo (Alberta Wage and Salary Survey); CERTinfo (Certification and Registration Requirements for Employment in Alberta); Trade Up!);
• Other career resources (e.g., e-Career Shop; ALIS User Guides; links to conferences for career development professionals);
• Education and training resources (e.g., EDinfo (Educational Program Information); Alberta Post-secondary Institutions; Planning for Post-secondary Studies);
• Financial assistance information (e.g., Students Finance (Alberta); Alberta Scholarship Programs; CANLearn, EDULiNX; Canada Student Loans Program);
• Transfers (e.g., Alberta Transfer Guide, International Qualifications Assessment Service);
• Online student services (e.g., online application for post-secondary admission, student finance, and high school transcripts; and online access to Alberta Student Number and a learner benefits estimator);
• Job postings;
• Self-employment resources (e.g., AlbertaFirst.com; Alberta Entrepreneurs Association; The Business Link; Small Business Centre);
• Workplace resources (e.g., Alberta Employment Standards; Disability Related Employment Supports; Alberta Labour Relations Board; Workers' Compensation Board); and
• Labour market information.

Alberta Learning Information Service: Learning Clicks
http://www.alis.gov.ab.ca/learningclicks/101welcome.asp

Learning Clicks is an online tool designed to help Grade 9 to 12 students plan for post-secondary education, whether that involves university, trades, colleges or technical institutes. The site offers information in the form of occupational profiles, post-secondary programs and institution locations, scholarship opportunities, planning tools, career videos, and links to related career planning resources. A section offering resources specific to Aboriginal students is also included.