Alberta high school students taking part in an agriculture apprenticeship will no longer have to pay out of their own pocket for the program.
The provincial government is providing a funding boost for the Green Certificate Program: an apprenticeship training program for high school students looking to learn more about crops, animals, agriculture, machinery and farming operations.
The program, run by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AAF) in partnership with Alberta Education, provides funding for students who pair with a trainer to learn one of the following specializations: beekeeping, cow/calf, dairy, equine, feedlot, field crop, greenhouse, irrigated field crop, sheep and swine. About 750 Alberta high school students take part in the program each year.
“The Green Certificate Program provides more choices for students to develop the confidence, skills and knowledge they need for the real world,” Martin Zuidoff, board chair, Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association, said.
“Through the program, we are able to attract more students to the agriculture industry and foster employability skills that support the development of a skilled and educated workforce.”
AAF used to charge Alberta high schools $960 (plus GST) per student-trainee enrolled in the program, and it was up to the school to determine if any costs would be passed along to the student.
The province said the program has been well-received by the agriculture industry, but schools said course fees were the single largest barrier to getting students to participate in the GCP.
On Wednesday, Education Minster David Eggen and Agriculture and Forestry Minister Oneil Carlier announced up to $400,000 will be invested into the program each year, in order to cover the course fees for students enrolled in GCP.
“Covering the fees for the Green Certificate Program will give more students access to specialized education,” Carlier said. “We are committed to supporting families by alleviating costs and improving growth in rural programs and the agricultural industry.”
Students can earn up to 16 Grade 12 diploma credits per specialization completed. Each one takes about a year to finish, although students can take up to three years to complete their training. Students have to be at least 15 years old to sign up.
The apprenticeship program gives high school students hands-on work experience for things they may already be doing on a family farm, and many post-secondary agricultural institutions and scholarship programs look favourably upon Green Certificate involvement, according to a government information document.
“We are pleased to see support for programs that reflect the needs and interests of students, particularly in rural areas,” Alberta School Boards Association president Mary Martin said.
“This will help boards continue to provide valuable educational choices in the communities that they serve.”
Students can pair with their parents or a relative for the program, but can also find additional trainers in specific areas. For example, in the equine stream students might also pair up with a veterinarian, other horse owners, stable owners, horse nutritionists, pony clubs and 4-H clubs.
WATCH: In southern Alberta, agriculture is all around us. It helps our economy thrive and puts food on our tables. That’s a message students in the agriculture programs at Lethbridge College are hoping to spread with their fellow students.
Students wanting to participate in the Green Certificate Program must first complete AGR3000, a one-credit, 25-hour training course that prepares students to work safely on farms.
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