Prairie Rose reaping rewards for focus on ‘TAVE’ skills for students

By Samantha Johnson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on February 16, 2023.

reporter@medicinehatnews.com

Prairie Rose Public Schools superintendent Reagan Weeks gave a presentation to the board this week on trades, apprenticeships and vocational education (TAVE), and how the work is connecting future prospects to students.

The foundations of TAVE skills are learned in elementary and junior high, then built upon in high school.

Weeks talked about a recent enhancement to the agreement for the Flight Academy. Now, with no additional costs, students will be able to complete commercial rating and, in exchange for working at Super T for one year, their instructor rating. This is part of Super T’s arrangement with WestJet. The Flight Academy already has nine new students enrolled for next year, the highest intake yet.

The Back to Business initiative started under previous superintendent Roger Clarke, who had a vision of a store where kids could develop products and build a business. The initiative has taken off, with sales and ideas coming from students. The idea is spreading across the division and is enabling students to connect with their entrepreneurial spirit.

Communication and technology are attached to English 10. Credits in comm/tech are connected to presentation skills and high-quality writing. The students focus on how to convey work in written format to entice future employers and future prospects.

Numbers are not high in apprenticeship programs at the high schools for various reasons. Weeks explained how the math required for apprenticeship training in some fields – electrician, sheet metal, refrigeration – can be challenging. Many students want to be in welding and pipe fitting because the financial return is higher but it can be more difficult to find a professional to take on an apprentice in those fields.

Some schools have unique programs, such as the fully functional greenhouse at Senator Gershaw, the Agricultural Discovery Centre in Irvine and the Seven Persons Art Academy.

Isabel F Cox school advertises jobs for students, such as lunch cleanup or helping in the kitchen. The students go through the entire hiring process of creating resumes and attending job interviews.

At Jenner School it is too far to take students to Medicine Hat College for vocational experiences. The school flipped it and now has community members who come to the school to share expertise and knowledge. In addition to trades people, the school also had a country singer come in and teach students the basics of playing guitar.

In the Annual Education Results Report, Prairie Rose Public Schools received a 91% satisfaction rate for work preparation.

“That is nearing 7% above the provincial average,” stated Weeks. “An incredible result and testament to staff in the schools.

Prairie Rose also received 83.8% satisfaction with program access. Educational quality is at 91.4% and school improvement at 82.3%, both also above the provincial average.

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