Getting involved in RAP in high school means fast-tracking your way to career success. You can earn 40 high school credits, gain apprenticeship hours in a trade of your choice, plus get paid for the hours you work. By the time you graduate from high school, you could have the first year of your apprenticeship complete and be well on your way to becoming a journeyperson!
Here's how to become a RAP apprentice:
Step 1: Tell your school’s Work Experience Coordinator that you’re interested in getting involved in RAP. You and your parents will attend a CAREERS workshop where you will learn more about the program and the responsibilities of a student apprentice.
Stage 2: Start researching trades you’re interested in. Need a place to start? Visit www.tradesecrets.gov.ab.ca to read about the 51 provincially designated trades you could apprentice in.
Stage 3: You and your parents fill out an application form and submit it to your Work Experience Coordinator.
To qualify for RAP you must:
- be a high school student in Grade 10, 11 or 12
- be on track to graduate
- have a 90% or better attendance record
- submit two teacher recommendations and one recommendation from a community member and
- research the trade of interest
Step 4: If you qualify, your Work Experience Coordinator (and a CAREERS team member if possible) will interview you.
Step 5: CAREERS team members recruit employers to participate in RAP. You can also look for an employer on your own — CAREERS team members and your Work Experience Coordinator can provide support and guidance.
Step 6: A CAREERS team member and your Work Experience Coordinator match you with an employer in your trade of interest. The prospective employer interviews you and decides whether to hire you or not.
Step 7: If you are hired, you begin a 125-hour internship. This gives you the chance to explore the trade and decide if you are committed to participating in RAP. It is also a chance for your employer to evaluate you. You receive five high school credits upon completion.
Step 8: After the 125-hour period, your employer could choose to register you as an apprentice. You will then be part of RAP, earning a potential 40 high school credits and banking up to 1,000 hours towards your first-year apprenticeship.
Step 9: Your employer and Work Experience Coordinator work together to provide ongoing evaluations for you.