By mid-next week, 100 Calgary Board of Education (CBE) students interested in the trades will be thrilled, many more may be sad, but not out of options.
On top of existing unique pathways programming, the CBE has announced a new online course aimed at Grade 10 students interested in the trades post-graduation.
The Calgary Trades & Technologies Collegiate (CTTC), which began in September 2025 for Grade 11 students and partners with the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), gives CBE high school students hands-on experience in plumbing, electrical, HVAC, drywall and finishing trades.
“Through a three-year pathway delivered in partnership with SAIT, students gain real-world experience, practical training and early exposure to industry experts while still in high school,” a CBE-issued release reads.
“Designed for Grade 10 students, CTTC helps learners build in-demand skills, confidence and career clarity, preparing them for both post-secondary education and the workforce in fields that power Alberta’s economy.”
By completing and submitting an expression of interest form before Jan. 16, Grade 10 students enter themselves into a lottery for the 100 available spots. Ken Weipert, Education Director supporting complementary curriculum and pathways for the CBE, said that early in the process, the district has already received more than 200 expressions of interest.
By Feb. 1, the winning students will take the asynchronous CTTC Career and Life Management (CALM) Trades course along with their other second-semester course load.
Five on-campus experiences spread throughout the semester, allowing students to experience trades programming at SAIT, are the only events students must attend in-person.
“We’re asking them to do the CALM trades course now so that it sets them up for next year in Grade 11, if they want to continue on with the trades into the back of their high school, or if they’re going to come to the unique pathways side of things,” Carolyn Mahovlich, CBE specialist for unique pathways, said.
“We also realize that Grade 10s are busy in their school, so we work closely with guidance counsellors to make sure that that timetable is going to allow the student to take this course and then help guide them to the next steps after Grade 10.”
Optionally, in the summer after Grade 10, CTTC students can participate in AMA Driving Training at a reduced cost and complete safety courses and certificates, among other parts of the program, according to the CBE website.
In Grade 11, students will spend more of their day in the trades, including being away from their main school campus, before ultimately choosing from the over 50 unique pathways options in grade 12, Mahovlich said.
CTTC to be bigger and better in year two
Next school year, the program’s first full year, CBE officials want to grow the course exponentially, including a designated spot on the SAIT campus.
Students who were not selected during the first cohort will have the opportunity to register in two potential cohorts, this time with less competition.
“We’ll have a full school year with the career life management course and moving potentially from a half-time teacher to a full-time teacher for the whole year, so we could see three to four times the numbers that we could potentially accept,” Weipert said.
The district has an existing relationship with SAIT. Their industry ties and campus made the program a no-brainer for the CBE.
“We already do a lot of programming on and off their campus in partnership with them, so having them be part of this collegiate made a lot of sense, not to mention they have a space for us to build out our exploring trades spaces on their campus,” Weipert said.
Designated space for CTTC students is actively being built and will be open for Grade 11 students next year.
