Seven of 13 Powell River dual credit students returned home with medals from a competition which pitched them against other trades students from around Vancouver Island.
Medalists in the Skills Canada regional competition were: Devon DeGraag (gold) and Blair Massullo (bronze) in auto service technician, Zane Hernandez (gold) in carpentry, Tèa Mayer (silver) and Daniel Woodruff (bronze) in culinary arts and Graham Hanson (silver) and Eric Rairie (bronze) in welding.
“We’re very proud of all our Powell River students who stepped up to compete in this intense, timed competition,” said Micki McCartney, Vancouver Island University (VIU) acting campus manager, who has been at the Powell River campus since January.
McCartney has worked for the university for the past nine years at its Nanaimo campus, although she grew up on the Lower Sunshine Coast. She said she is happy that the water is finally on the right side again.
The university is currently engaged in a search for a permanent campus principal after Arlette Raaen retired in the summer 2014.
McCartney is enjoying her time in Powell River, she said.
She credits the hard work of program instructors and students for Powell River’s continued success in the Skills Canada competitions and in particular the strong relationship between the university and School District 47. “We have standing meetings and it’s not your work and my work—it’s our work,” she added. “We’re communicating really well.”
She explained that those students tend to be the most engaged and have some of the highest rates of attendance in high school. “That’s dual credit at work,” she said. “They are really bringing up the graduation rate for the school district.”
Powell River’s dual credit program allows high school students at Brooks Secondary School to have the opportunity to earn credits toward completion of industrial training certificates.
Jim Palm, school district career counsellor, said Powell River has one of the highest numbers of dual credit students in the province with about 25 per cent of Brooks’ grade 12 class taking trades training and half of the graduating class involved with culinary arts, hairdressing, Coast Mountain Academy or the other non-trades career dual-credits program.
The dual credits program is expanding to include academic courses for Powell River students. Tuition is covered for up to two courses per semester, which are considered both senior year electives for high school graduation and credit for university studies.
VIU has just announced that it will offer an Adult Basic Education dual credit program for high school students. The program will provide students with another option to complete classes like English or Math if they feel like they are not being adequately supported or fit in at high school.
Skills competition gold medalists DeGraag and Hernandez will move on to the provincials held in Abbotsford on April 15.
