Use this together
The counsellor meeting checklist
One meeting with the right person saves a year of guessing. Fill this in with your student before you go, tick things off as you talk, and finish the last section within a week. It works for a school counsellor and for the VSB Career Programs team.
0 of 30 ticked off
Before
Get ready together
Parent and student, about a week ahead
Twenty minutes at the kitchen table beats an hour of guessing in the meeting. Do this part side by side.
In the meeting
The student leads
Student
The counsellor should hear your student's voice, not only yours. These are theirs to ask.
In the meeting
The parent asks
Parent
Logistics, deadlines and paperwork. Your job is the calendar, not the career choice.
After
Close the loop within a week
Parent and student
Meetings fade fast. Write it down while it is fresh and send one short email.
Notes from the meeting
Names, dates and next steps. This stays in your browser and is not sent anywhere.
Straight to the source
Vancouver School Board links
These go straight to the district's own pages. Program names and intake dates change year to year, so read the VSB page before you act on anything you find here.
Start here
The pages to read before you book a meeting.
- VSB Career Programs (opens in a new tab)
The district home page for trades, health care and technology programs.
- About Career Programs (opens in a new tab)
What the district team does and who the programs are built for.
- Programs overview (opens in a new tab)
The full list of program types and how they fit together.
- Program offerings (opens in a new tab)
The district's own list of every career program currently offered to high school students.
- How to apply (PDF brochure) (opens in a new tab)
VSB's official application brochure. Applicants must be on track to graduate and hold Canadian citizenship or permanent residency; each program interviews for suitability.
- Frequently asked questions (opens in a new tab)
Eligibility, applications and costs, answered by the district.
- Contact Career Programs (opens in a new tab)
Phone, email and office details for the district team.
- Find your school (opens in a new tab)
School directory. Use it to reach your counselling office.
The three trades routes
Explore, train, or work. Most students touch more than one of these.
- Youth EXPLORE trades sampler (opens in a new tab)
A short sampler across several trades for students still deciding.
- Youth WORK in Trades (opens in a new tab)
Paid, registered apprenticeship hours in Grade 10, 11 or 12.
- Work Experience (opens in a new tab)
Placement with a real employer, arranged through the school.
- Job Training (opens in a new tab)
Structured job training placements for students not yet set on a trade.
Keep going
Where to look next
Find the person who runs this in your district
The coordinator controls the college seat. Start with one meeting.
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OpenMap out the next few years
A personalised roadmap to a degree or a teaching career, plus the math navigator.
OpenTrades terms, in plain language
A simple glossary of the jargon parents hear from schools, unions and employers.
Open