British Columbia Provincial Apprenticeship Accreditation System

Accreditation is a process by which Industry Training Authority evaluates and recognizes training programs as meeting pre-defined standards so that participants may receive credit towards established industry training programs.

Two main purposes of accreditation are to assure students, employers and the public that training programs meet or exceed established standards and to facilitate the granting of credit to prospective trainees who have successfully completed accredited training programs. Accreditation also provides an auditing mechanism independent of the training system, and provides opportunities for the improvement of training and the development of future programs to meet the needs of industry.

To be accredited, a training program should meet the following general criteria:

• The training curriculum should follow the National Occupational Analysis, Red Seal Occupational Standards and/or approved provincial program outline.
• The instructors who deliver the training should be appropriately qualified and competent in the latest technology and trends in industry.
• The facilities and equipment used to deliver the training should be appropriate to fully deliver the related curriculum.
• The training program should be subject to review on a regular basis.

In British Columbia, public training providers are accredited through the Ministries of Advanced Education and Education and specific programs of non-public training providers are accredited by the Industry Training Authority in cooperation with relevant industry bodies and the Private Career Training Institutions Agency.