Procedures

The division supports the provision of off campus education opportunities through school/community partnerships to help students develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to flourish in life beyond high school.  off campus education also allows students to gain practical experience related to life skills and provides exposure to potential career opportunities.  Educational experiences are not limited to the confines of a school building. off campus education programs such as career internship, work experience, green certificate, registered apprenticeship programs, and dual credit opportunities offer students unique experiences to help ease the transition from K-12 into the post-secondary world. 

Alberta Education is increasing the emphasis on off campus opportunities for students to meet the growing demands for a skilled workforce in Alberta.

1. In this administrative procedure, the following definitions shall apply:
   1. Off campus education includes career internship, work experience, registered apprenticeship, and green certificate programs.  Off campus also includes dual credit, experiential and exploratory courses that are taken with a post-secondary or community partner.
   2. Experiential learning or exploratory learning includes courses undertaken by a junior or senior high school student that:
      
      1. Are an integral or supplemental part of the curriculum of a provincially approved school course or program (e.g., Science 9, Biology 30, etc.);
      2. Are under the cooperative supervision of an off campus school division representative and the employer's or post-secondary’s onsite representative;
      3. Can be a short-term and/or a part-time experience;
      4. Some additional credit can be given beyond that awarded for the course.  Examples include dual credit course and CTS career pathways credits 
      5. Is part of a community partnership (off campus, job shadowing, workplace observation, mentorship arrangement, post secondary school) activity engaged in by students.
      6. May include job shadow, job investigation or research, workplace observation, work site investigation, or a mentorship arrangement or project;
      7. May be an integral part of the Knowledge and Employability curriculum;
      8. Is under the cooperative supervision of the representative of The Palliser School Division and the employer's or post secondary onsite representative; 
      9. Provides hands-on experience to help the student relate schooling to the workplace and community or post secondary educational programming;
      10. Earns credits toward the requirement for a Certificate of High School Achievement of an Alberta High School Diploma;
   3. Work experience means off campus experiential learning undertaken by a senior high school student 15 years of age or older:
      1. As an integral part of a planned school program;
      2. Which is under the cooperative supervision of a representative of The Palliser School Division  and the employer;
      3. Which constitutes a separate course based on twenty-five (25) hours per credit; and
      4. Which, in the context of work experience in the Canadian Forces, constitutes a program plan and time-frame agreed to by the school, the student aged 17 or older, the parent and the Canadian Forces.
   4. Registered apprenticeship program means experiential learning undertaken by a senior high school student 15 years of age or older:
      1. As an integral part of a planned school program;
      2. Which constitutes a separate course based on twenty-five (25) hours per credit;
      3. Which is under the cooperative supervision of a representative of The Palliser School Division and the employer;
      4. Where a student is a registered apprentice; and
      5. Where the program meets the statutes and regulations relating to apprenticeship training.
2. The off campus education procedure shall be made available to students, parents and other stakeholder groups.
3. The Work Experience Program consists of three (3) courses: Work Experience 15, 25 and 35. There are no prerequisites for these courses. Students may obtain three (3) to ten (10) high school credits in each of these work experience courses provided they have successfully completed a minimum of twenty-five (25) hours for each credit to a maximum of thirty (30) credits.  A maximum of fifteen (15) credits can be applied toward the student's graduation requirements.
4. Off campus education must include the student completion of HCS3000: Workplace safety systems as a prerequisite for entering most off campus education programs.  CTR1010: Job preparation is also recommended as is CTS3010: Preparing for Change.  Schools should report the marks and credits for the above CTS courses separately from the work experience courses.
5. Students shall comply with the age requirements under the Employment Standards Code, RSA 2000, Chapter E-9 in order to participate in work experience education.
6. Off campus education shall be carried out under the supervision of a representative of The Palliser School Division.
7. Off campus education shall be evaluated by the representative of The Palliser School Division. The means of evaluation shall be conveyed to the student and the employer, as approved by the principal.
8. The off campus teacher shall specify learner expectations for each student in consultation with the student and the employer.
9. In dual credit courses, the representative of The Palliser School Division will act as a liaison between the student, the school and the post secondary instructor.
10. The representative of The Palliser School Division shall determine that a work site/station is acceptable. An approved workstation must meet the following criteria:
    1. A trade, occupation or profession will be represented;
    2. A supervising person who is qualified in the trade or occupation will give direction to and supervise the student; and
    3. The work site/station will be acceptable in the terms of the Employment Standards Code, WHMIS, local standards and other legislated requirements.
11. The annual Application for Approval of Work Sites/Stations and a list of work sites shall be completed by the representative of The Palliser School Division, preferably in the spring for the following school year. This form will be approved and signed by the Principal or designate. The division designate is the school principal. Protection under the Workers' Compensation Act and the Board's liability is not in effect, nor are employers exempt from paying the minimum wage, until the Application for Approval of Work Sites/Stations is approved.
12. The Agreement for Off campus Education Program shall be signed by the employer, the student worker, the parent/guardian (if the student is 16 years of age or younger) and the supervising representative of The Palliser School Division and kept on file.  This process must take place prior to the student beginning the off campus placement.
13. A list of all students participating in the program and their program placements shall be on file.
14. In the case of a student working after 6:00 p.m. and/or on weekends, the supervising teacher shall make available to students and employers a telephone number where someone responsible for the program can be reached.
15. The working hours for senior high school work experience students are restricted to 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. any day of the week, and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
16. A supervising teacher should monitor the work site/station once every 25 hours worked over the period of the off campus placement. The principal and the supervising representative of The Palliser School Division shall ensure that adequate supervision is provided for students in work-study sites/stations.
17. In the case of a Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) claim, the off campus education teacher shall submit the necessary forms to the Superintendent or designate. The Superintendent or designate will insert the Alberta Education account code, 345912/6, then submit the forms to WCB with the forms plus a copy of the approved Approval of Work Sites/Stations form to Policy Unit, Curriculum Standards Branch, Alberta Education, for processing and filing with the Workers' Compensation Board.

References:

Education Act (Section 1(1), 39(1), 54(1)

Employment Standards Code (Section 65(1), 66, 51, 52, 53, 54)

Guide to Education ECS to Grade 12

Off-Campus Education Handbook

Revised October 2022