How do I register as an apprentice?
- You must find a sponsor who is willing to sign up for this role, and then you and your sponsor must complete and sign the Apprenticeship and Sponsor Registration Form and mail, fax or e-mail it to ITA Customer Service.
- In some cases, if you are enrolled in a secondary or post-secondary cooking program the school may be able to act as your sponsor. For more information please contact the school program coordinator.
What occupations are available and what do the apprenticeship programs cover?
go2 is responsible for the following occupations and their program profiles will give you an overview of the process for each:
How do I find a sponsor?
- It is your responsibility to find a sponsor, but there are resources to help you.
- If you are currently employed in your trade, ask your current employer if they will sponsor you (see Sponsor Requirements in the next section).
- If you are not currently employed, or your current employer does not want to become a sponsor, check with the secondary or post-secondary culinary arts schools in your area, local businesses you would like to work at, or tap into your personal networks of friends and family to see if they know any employers that have apprentices. If you have exhausted all these options, contact us to see if we can help.
What will my sponsor's role be?
Your sponsor's role will be to:
- Ensure their apprentice receives training and practical experience covering the scope of his/her industry training program under the supervision of a certified tradesperson or equivalent.
- Enable their apprentice to attend required technical training.
- Submit forms and documents requested by the ITA to verify completion of training.
- Recommend certification of their apprentice provided he/she has met the standards of the industry training program.
More information is available in Sponsor Requirements.
What do I need to do to complete my apprenticeship?
If you are working in industry:
- Find an employer to sponsor you
- Gain the required work experience
- Register and successfully complete the required levels of technical training
- Write and pass the Certificate of Qualification exam
If you are enrolled in a Cook, Baker or Meatcutter Training Program:
- Complete and successfully pass your course
- Find an employer to sponsor you
- Register and successfully complete the next levels of technical training
- Gain the required work experience
- Write and pass the Certificate of Qualification exam
How do I register for technical training?
Secondary Schools
Please contact your local high school to see if they offer the Professional Cook training program (currently baking and meatcutting are not offered in high school). If not, you can ask your career advisor or counsellor whether your district offers ACE IT programs in cooking, either in another high school or in conjunction with a post-secondary institution in your area.
If no program is available and you are working in industry as a cook, you can still sign-up as a Secondary School Apprentice (SSA) with your career advisor.
Post-Secondary Schools
The following post-secondary schools offer technical training. Please contact the Culinary Arts Department or Career Coordinator of the school you’re interested in for course details and schedules.
Camosun College
Cascade Culinary Arts School
College of the Rockies
Okanagan College
Thompson Rivers University
Vancouver Community College
Vancouver Island University
I’ve been working in the industry a long time, can I challenge the program?
Yes, in general to challenge any certification or level of the program, you need to pass examinations and have acquired 1½ times the work hours required by someone taking the technical training.
Click here for the challenge applications for Cook, Baker or Meatcutter.
How do I get credit for hours I have worked in the past?
If you are registered as an apprentice and have a current sponsor, you may be granted credit for previous relevant work-based experience. The Prior Work-Based Training Credit Application form will give you complete details on the options available for:
How do I get my employer to report my hours?
The ITA will usually once a year send your employer a request to report work based training hours. You can also encourage your sponsor to submit the Work-Based Training Report as frequently as they like, with every 3-4 months as a good average.
How do I get my Red Seal grant and tax credits?
The following article will provide you with information on tax credits and grants available to apprentices: Attention Apprentices: Are you Aware of Government Grants and Tax Credits?
How were you established?
- Established by the BC tourism industry in April 2003, go2's mission is to assist the tourism industry by addressing challenges in attracting employees and retaining its workforce in order to support industry growth.
- In 2007, go2 was sanctioned to be the Industry Training Organization for British Columbia’s tourism sector.
What do you do?
- go2 is the Industry Training Organization (ITO) for BC's tourism, hospitality and foodservices sector. Currently go2 is responsible for the management of three designated trades:
- go2 has completed the modification of the Cook trades training program and is currently conducting reviews of the other two trades to ensure that they meet the industry's needs for trained staff. A needs assessment is also being conducted to see if there are other credentialed trades required.
- go2 is focused on ensuring industry input is received into existing and new programs through stakeholder surveys, forums, task groups, and other consultations.
What is the Industry Training Authority (ITA)?
The Industry Training Authority (ITA) is a Crown Agency established in 2004 by the Industry Training Authority Act. Its mandate is to:
- Set standards for industry training programs and qualifications;
- Provide coordination among industries, learners, and training providers;
- Fund industry training; and
- Promote industry/trades careers.
- The mission of the ITA from its inception has been to establish a new industry-led training model for BC.
What are Industry Training Organizations? (ITOs)
- In order for the ITA to accomplish their goals, they created Industry Training Organizations (ITOs).
- ITOs are the mechanism by which the ITA is giving industry the lead responsibility for improving training within their unique sectors.
- go2 is sanctioned by the ITA as the ITO for the tourism, hospitality and foodservices sector in British Columbia. Currently, go2 is responsible for the management of three designated trades:
ITOs are responsible for:
- Maintaining currency and standards for assigned programs;
- Defining demand for training programs;
- Recommending and negotiating annual training investment and training plans;
- Proposing new programs;
- Supporting trainees and employers; and
- Promoting industry-training programs.
There are seven ITOs in BC, each responsible for a different sector of the economy:
- Automotive (ATSO)
- Horticulture (HortEd BC)
- ICI Construction (CITO)
- Residential Construction (RCITO)
- Resource Industries (RTO)
- Tourism, Hospitality and Foodservices (go2)
- Transportation (TCDA)
The goals for ITOs in all sectors are:
- Improving completion rates;
- Improving utilization rates;
- Updating and reviewing program standards;
- Expanding accessibility and flexibility;
- Integrating immigrants into trades occupations;
- Expanding training investments by government and employers; and
- Improving the relationship with the training systems.
Where do I go for more information?
ITA
http://www.itabc.ca/
Debbie Yule
Vice President, Industry Training
604-633-9787 ext 228
dyule@go2hr.ca
Dennis Green
Senior Program Manager, Industry Training
604-633-9787 ext 235
dgreen@go2hr.ca
Linda Halingten
Customer Service Manager, Industry Training
604-633-9787 ext 223
lhalingten@go2hr.ca
