lack of wages during their courses. Typically with the present EI system they do not receive any assistance until they are 4 weeks in and is a small percentage of their regular pay. People need to live and this is simply not doable for anyone starting out in a trade and they need to be better compensated to even be able to attend training. Easy Answer! ACE IT programs in high schools all across BC, Tupper Tech program at Sir Charles Tupper Secondary in Vancouver, and BC-wide Secondary School Apprenticeship all provide an "alternative" to traditional routes to a trades career. These options only work for high school students, but what a great start! ACE IT programs are dual-credit programs: post-secondary credits at the same time as earning high school credits ... sort of "double dipping" for credits (but it's A-OK). ACE IT programs are supported by BC's ITA and focus on specific trades (mostly Red Seal trades). Different school districts offer a variety of different dual credit programs (e.g. plumbing, carpentry, auto collision, cooking, auto service, hair dressing). Students are ready to write their Level One exam in a specific trade before they leave high school. Tupper Tech -- is a trade-oriented program for Vancouver high school students. This program is for students who are interested in a trade, but they are not sure WHICH trade is best for them. Students spend every other day in Tech Ed shops, where they sample several different trades. Each student does several