RAP your way to success

Times Reporter

 

For almost as long as it has been in existence Strathmore High School, SHS, has had the RAP program. RAP stands for the Registered Apprenticeship Program.  RAP basically provides students with an opportunity to pursue a career in a trade by helping them work on their apprenticeship. 

“Its an exciting opportunity for those kids because they get to do what they are passionate about which is really neat, so we make it happen in their Grade 12 year,” said Karen Harris, a coordinator of the program. 

The numbers are creeping up, there are six kids in the program now and Harris said they would love to see more join the RAP program.

One student heard about RAP and decided to take advantage of the step in the door it gave her. Franquie Corralini is in Grade 12 this year, and over the summer she worked at Hydra Rig in Calgary through RAP. 

She found out through her fabrication teacher about the program.  

She has been serious about welding since grade 10, and had planned on trying to get her apprenticeship before she was done high school.

“The RAP program was just a nice little gateway to get there,” said Corralini. 

Because of the RAP program and the time she spent at the shop working in the field, her goals have changed slightly. She still wants to spend her days working on metal while listening to metal but first plans to attend SAIT next year to become an engineering technician. 

“I want to be foreman of a metal shop, and something in mass production. I don’t like the nitty gritty stuff, that’s when you start getting into auto body and cars and stuff like that,” said Corralini. 

Originally she wanted to be an artist and had begun an apprenticeship as a tattoo artist, but Grade 10 came and she took to welding. By the end of the year she had around 200 hours after school in the shop. 

Sending a high school student into the workforce can occasionally be a problem but according to Matt Nagy, Corralini’s foreman, it’s all about having the right attitude. He said Corralini was full of the right attitude, which made her a perfect fit at the shop. 

“It worked out well, I think for both parties, we really enjoyed having her, she fit in really well with the crew and everybody really liked her and got along well. I think it was a good learning experience for her,” said Nagy. 

“We actually told her when she left if we’re busy we would take her back on as an apprentice.”

It’s the opportunity of a lifetime and Corralini knows it which is just another factor in making her try to finish her schooling as fast as she can. Hydra Rig doesn’t hire part time employees so when Corralini had to go back to school she had to quit, though she said she may try to work graveyard shifts while she is attending SAIT, just to keep herself in the field. 

“They are on their way already when they come out of high school

It makes it easier for the student, too, when they have the experience because a lot of shops wont take someone with no experience,” said Nagy. 

Working trades is nothing new to Corralini, whose parents both work in the trades industry.  She joked about how she had to go into welding because it is something neither of her parents does. 

Because of RAP, Corralini will be able to write the exam while working at a good paying job in the industry she is trying to excel in. She agreed with Nagy about having the right attitude, and said a person needs to be able to go in and learn everything that needs to be learned instead of giving it a half assed attempt. 

“Don’t do it unless you actually want to do it because if anything it just causes more hassle than not. These people are at work; they have things they have to do. Especially in that type of environment because they get paid by the completion of their work,” said Corralini. 

By completing the RAP program students can earn up to 40 credits, though they still have to complete math, english, science and social. 

“There isn’t a down side to any of this and we’re so excited because we have more and more kids doing the trades,” said Harris.

“What we hope to see someday is kids moving from our food studies program into cooking, into chef and baking, so we really want to encourage that.”

The student interest is there, Harris said now they need to find more journeymen for the students to work under. They would like to find a journeyman that is busy enough to get them working, willing to teach and has enough business to pay them. Anyone who is interested in helping out the program can call Karen Harris at 403-934-3135