The SSA program was initiated to help focused students aged 15 to 18 years get a head start on accumulating workplace training hours by starting an apprenticeship while still in school. SSA is a partnership between the School District, Employer and Industry Training Authority. A complete list of apprenticeable trades is available on the ITA website .

A secondary school apprentice will:

• Learn skills that may not be offered through secondary school elective courses.
• Earn up to 16 graduation credits (SSA 11A, 11B, 12A, and 12B).
• Accumulate up to 480 hours work-based training toward first-year apprenticeship.
• Receive a Secondary School Apprenticeship certificate upon graduation
• Qualify to apply for a $1000 cash scholarship

To register as an Apprentice a student must find a job with an employer in a trade of interest. If the employer agrees to sponsor the student a completed Industry Training Authority (ITA) form must be returned to the school Apprenticeship Facilitator. The registration form can be downloaded from the ITA website.

Work based training for students registered in Secondary School Apprenticeship programs must be reported at graduation or when a student leaves employment. Submit the signed Training Progress Report to the Apprenticeship Facilitator. This form can be downloaded from the ITA website .

A student who continues to work in the trade after graduation will qualify for an SSA Scholarship of $1,000 if they:

• Graduate with a C+ average in Grade 12 courses
• Complete a minimum of 900 (changed for 2012)  hours in the trade (monitored and assessed by the school)
• Obtain and submit a completed Scholarship Application to the home school Apprenticeship Facilitator 5 months after graduation