Preparing for life after graduation: transcript

Introduction

[00:02] Jiana Chow:
Welcome to VSB After the Bell. I'm your host, Jiana Chow.

With deep gratitude and respect, we are honoured to be learning and unlearning on the ancestral and unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation).

The Vancouver School Board is among the most diverse school systems in Canada, with an annual enrolment of approximately 50,000 students from kindergarten to Grade 12 and adult education students.

We know there are many pathways to success after graduation. For some, that path includes post-secondary. For others, it's the workforce. Some might experience post-secondary life while they're still in secondary school through VSB's Career Programs.

Post-graduation is not one-size-fits-all. And for that reason, for this episode, we're diving into the archives from some of our most popular podcast episodes that focus on planning for life after Grade 12.

We'll listen back on our conversation with staff from VSB's Career Programs who share how students can earn dual credit for post-secondary and start their careers, all while they're still in secondary school.

We'll also listen to our conversations with several other post-secondary representatives from the likes of UBC, SFU, BCIT, VCC and more. They share helpful tips and information to help students and their families prepare for post-secondary.

Now, without further ado, let's jump into the archives.

Let's start off with timing. When should a student start considering their options for post-secondary?

When should students start planning for post-secondary?

Rafaela Almeida Borges:
My name is Rafaela Almeida Borges, but you can call me Rafa. I'm the associate registrar for recruitment and admissions at Capilano University.

So I feel like at Cap U, we usually see students as early as Grade 9 or Grade 10 asking questions. And it can feel too soon to decide what we're going to do with your life. But actually, as soon as we start, the better because then you have more time to explore your options and then make an informed decision.

And there are lots of ways to do that. So you can join in open houses or simply checking the institution's website, sometimes taking some university courses because many students, they don't know that while they are in high school, they can take university-level courses as well.

So I would say start as soon as you can.

Jiana Chow:
From the director of student recruitment and admissions at Simon Fraser University.

Mike Peragine:
The only thing I would probably add, and not to scare students, is I think the most important time to really decide, not so much programming, but the direction in terms of, are you going a college route? Are you going trades? Are you going to, you know, your traditional university? Is around the Grade 10 year, and that's because that's when course selection for Grade 11 would start.

What if students don't know what they want to do?

Jiana Chow:
That leads us to our next question. What if a student doesn't know what they want to do for the rest of their lives in Grade 10 or 11?

Let's turn the mic to VCC for their advice.

Lucy Griffith:
Yeah, so hi, my name's Lucy Griffith and I'm the Dean of Trade, Technology and Design at VCC.

So you don't have to commit right now to your entire life, the career that you're going to live your entire life. You can jump into something because even though you're learning a trade or a craft, you're always, all of the extras that go in with that, the people-person stuff, like the meeting and greeting, moving through careers, working with industry. And it's like, it's an apprenticeship.

You're in your entire life and it's gonna lead you to where you will be when you grow up. And I'm even saying that now, like, you know, as Dean of Trades, I'm constantly learning, constantly growing to think about what's next.

So for students that are feeling a bit overwhelmed, like, should I commit to this trade or this vocation or this applied area, you know, just try it out and see where it leads you. I never thought at 16 that becoming an esthetician would mean that I'm a Dean of a College in Vancouver.

Post-secondary applications and deadlines

Jiana Chow:
That's excellent advice. What about when it comes to staying on top of the application timelines and deadlines?

Let's turn the mic over to UBC, BCIT and Langara.

Amandus Mashamba:
My name is Amandus Mashamba. I am a student recruiter-advisor at UBC.

So I would say in terms of timeline, find something that you're familiar with to help you stay on top of things. So you may be shopping around and not just thinking of applying to UBC. You may be thinking of going elsewhere.

So research ahead of time, find out when the deadlines are, not just for admission, but maybe for other pieces such as scholarships and awards.

Create a document that can help you visualize and have that map in mind, and even involve a family member to help you remember. So I would say that.

And then to the other piece about when the applications open, so at UBC usually opens in early October. In terms of key dates to keep in mind, we have the January 15, which is the final deadline.

However, if you'd like to be considered for a major entrance award, there's an earlier deadline, which is December 1.

Jiana Chow:
OK, so really you have to get your package started in October and best by December if you're like that superstar. Or by the end of January, definitely.

Richa Gautam:
Yeah, my name is Richa Gautam. What I do at BCIT is I work for the program advising department and I am a recruiter as well.

Most of BCIT's full-time cohort programs have a scheduled intake for September or January. Some of them, not all of them, have a January intake, but most of it is September, and then the application date opens a year early, so it's always October 1.

And some of these programs are not competitive, so it's on a first-come, first-served.

Jiana Chow:
Interesting.

Richa Gautam:
I tell students, if you want to secure a seat, do this right away. Do it on October 1. This is for the first-come, first-served programs. For competitive entry, as I mentioned earlier when you asked, I always look at the program page. Yeah, you will see a set application deadline date, when to apply and when the application closes.

[06:31] Jennifer Page:
Hi, I'm Jennifer Page. I'm the Associate Director for Domestic Marketing and Recruitment at Langara College.

So at Langara, our applications open on October 1 and we do encourage people to get their applications in quite early. Application dates are directly correlated to your registration times. So when you're selecting courses for your first year, it's really important to get that application date in early.

And an application isn't a commitment. So we don't offer a commitment fee at Langara. An application is an opening, it's a door, just a pathway that you could consider.

So I think all institutions recommend just getting applications in early and you can have a wide range of applications out there, and then when it comes time to make your decision, you can move forward.

Financial aid, scholarships and other support

[07:15] Jiana Chow:
So apply early and be sure to check each institution's website for specific application deadlines so you don't miss an important date.

On the note of important dates, I also wanted to know about financial aid and scholarships. What kind of financial support is out there for students and when should they apply?

Timelines and financial options vary by institution, but to summarize, there are scholarships, awards, bursaries, loans, grants and emergency funds.

Scholarships and awards are not just for students with perfect grades. There are scholarship options available for things like community involvement, sports and leadership. So always just apply, because you never know.

For specific applications, deadlines and processes, visit each institution's website or reach out to their recruitment and advising team for support. And like the application advice we heard earlier, apply early.

VSB's Career Programs

[08:16] Jiana Chow:
There are so many paths to success after high school. Not everyone chooses post-secondary.

Switching gears now, let's talk about Career Programs. VSB's Career Programs provide students with career training, allowing them to earn dual credits while still attending high school.

There's a lot of misinterpretation about our Career Programs. I often hear many people assume that the Career Programs are only for students who are interested in careers in trades like automobile or woodworking. I've even heard maybe it's an option for those who are not academically inclined.

So with this, I speak with Mark Reed, a resource teacher at VSB's Career Programs, and Lucy Griffith, the Dean of Trade, Technology and Design at VCC, to debunk some of these myths.

[09:02] Lucy Griffith:
Career Programs offer so many different types of pathways, whether it's in the healthcare community or it's a transportation trade, construction trade, architecture pathways, there's a lot of different things that we do.

Every single one of those career choices requires some pretty decent math skills, often some science, especially physics, so that students can understand the tools that they're working with, how they are used, what the application looks like so that they can be working safely or learning safely in their environment and being able to feel, you know, productive that they're using the skills that they're requiring in their training when they're then finally out to work.

And when you talk about, like, a non-academic student to come into trades or vocations, like it's not that, and I'm glad you really spoke to that, because we're looking at highly motivated students.

How students can get started in Career Programs

[10:01] Jiana Chow:
So do they learn those skills on the job?

Mark Reed:
Sometimes there's two ways to get started, either through a training program or by going out and starting a registered apprenticeship.

If you're starting in a training program, you're learning in a classroom at a school like VCC or BCIT, Langara, the Finishing Trades Institute, the Piping Industry College, the Justice Institute of BC, Emily Carr University. Those are all of our training partners.

The other way is to get started by going straight out to work. And there's a number of trades pathways, especially in construction or as a professional cook, where you can go to work your very first day with safety boots and a smile.

And as long as you're ready to learn on the job and ask good questions, be observant, you might be a good fit for that kind of pathway. But there's different ways to get started.

When can students apply?

[10:49] Jiana Chow:
What grade can students apply to get into Career Programs?

Mark Reed:
We see students typically apply in Grade 11 to do their program in Grade 12, but we're finding more and more it's helpful when a student applies in Grade 10 because that gives us more time to be working with them, to make a plan with them rather than for them.

And especially as we partner with these post-secondary institutions, it's nice for us to know well in advance what kind of interest there is so that we can contact Lucy and her colleagues and say we're going to need more seats in this particular type of program because we're seeing increased interest.

[11:26] Jiana Chow:
And so are there prerequisites? And maybe Lucy, you can answer this question. If, for like a Grade 10 who's interested in going into a program at VCC when they're in Grade 12, do they need to get ready beforehand in Grade 11 and get those prerequisite courses?

Lucy Griffith:
I mean generally, Grade 10 is the prereq for many of our programs, but the school board and the institution will make sure that the student is prepared and have all the tools that they need in order to move into the program.

Earning dual credit while in high school

[11:51] Jiana Chow:
So for students who are wanting to go to VCC and maybe they're interested in a trade, how does that work in terms of credit? Are they earning post-secondary credit while still being in high school?

Mark Reed:
Great question.

So when a student is in a dual credit program, whether it's a trade or it's a healthcare technology type of pathway, the students that we support that have applied into the program, were accepted into the program, the school district pays their tuition.

The student and family pay for things like fees or textbooks and some other things, but the school district pays the tuition, and they're earning high school credit and college credit at the same time while they're spending their time in a college environment.

How to learn more about VSB's Career Programs

[12:38] Jiana Chow:
So if a student is interested in applying for Career Programs or wanting to learn more information, where can they get that?

Mark Reed:
Great places are things like going to see your counsellor at school. Our website, careerprograms.vsb.bc.ca. Either of those places are a good spot to start because applications are due either December 1 or March 1.

And it's a good idea for a student to take a look at which pathways are out there, which one might be a good fit for them. Therefore, when to apply and really making a plan for how they're going to prepare that application.

It takes a little bit of time. If you work with your counsellor, it can be done in less than a week, but you'll have an intentional plan for what that transition is going to look like, and you get to chart a course for how you make your exit from high school.

Advice for students feeling overwhelmed about the future

[13:32] Jiana Chow:
What's one piece of advice you'd give to a student who's feeling overwhelmed about their future? Let's hear from UBC's perspective first, followed by SFU and Langara.

[13:44] Amandus Mashamba:
Ah, I empathize. I will say that.

And this piece of advice may not work for everyone, but I will say, you know, take that first step.

So for some of us, that first step is designed with the end in mind. But for most of us, you don't know what the future holds. So I encourage you to take that first step in figuring out what might be a good fit for you or what is not a good fit for you.

[14:10] Mike Peragine:
Yeah. I mean, I think for anybody, I mean at least from an SFU perspective, I would say, you know, we give students the option to put what we call a first and a second choice on their application, which is nice.

And the other thing is with B.C., we have such a great university transfer system. So having applications out to multiple institutions is a great plan to begin with.

But then that means, like, some students may start at Langara and they can do their first semester, their first year or even get a full diploma at Langara College, and then that diploma can transfer directly into Capilano or SFU or UBC.

So those credits being transferable, I think, is a really nice option that we have here with B.C. And the institutions are very collaborative and work together to make sure that we have agreements that these can ladder into each other.

Closing

[14:59] Jiana Chow:
If you want to check out the full episodes from the clips we played today, be sure to click on the links provided in our show notes.

Thank you again to all our wonderful guests for sharing their insights. While everyone's path looks different, a good rule of thumb is to start planning early.

Be curious and always try because you never know where a decision might lead you.

Thanks for listening. Follow us on Instagram at @VSB39 to catch every new episode as it's released.

Remember to subscribe to VSB After the Bell on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Special thanks to the music teacher, Mr. Bonnell, and Nightingale Elementary students for the original theme song.