Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP)
The Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) is an opportunity for a focused student to get a jump start on a career in the trades through building their skill-set and accumulating hours towards their bluebook. There are over 50 certified trades in Alberta that students can apprentice in.
A RAP student goes through an application process and must be accepted into the program based on their attendance, their grades, their attitude and a teacher reference, as well as a fully completed application form. It is recommended that a student complete the full program of the trade (Fabrication, Carpentry, Mechanics, etc) at the school while they are considering the RAP program. This means that a student may enroll in the Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced levels of the program while at Lindsay Thurber.
If a student is accepted into RAP, Mrs. Rudolph will assist in finding a suitable job site placement. The program is best to begin in the summer of their grade 10 year and then continue into their grade 11 and 12 school years. A student must ensure that their timetable in grade 11 and grade 12 includes RAP as a course. Most students attend their core classes (English and Social, for example) during periods 1 and 3, and then go to their RAP placement in the afternoon(during period 5 & 7).
The student works as an intern in the trade and must complete a minimum of 125 hours (5 credits are earned). As an intern, there is NO obligation of pay from the employer. After the 125-hour internship, the employer has to decide whether they want to indenture the student. This means that the employer will keep the student on and begin to count their hours towards their first year apprenticeship. Once the student is indentured, the employer must agree to pay the student at least minimum wage while he/she works for them. This is the point in the program when the student will apply to Alberta Apprenticeship & Industry Training for their Apprenticeship bluebook. Students will log their hours so that by the time they are done Grade 12, they have completed their minimum goal of 1000 hours (Maximum 40 high school credits) toward the first year of their Apprenticeship.
Mrs. Rudolph monitors our RAP students through work site visits and provides feedback and evaluation forms throughout the process. The RAP program is a wonderful opportunity for students who know their career path to get a jump start in the trades as well as a great opportunity for hardworking students to try different trades and hopefully find a good fit for them. For further information on the RAP program, please see Mrs. Rudolph.
