COVID and the Classroom

COVID and the Classroom A strange summer followed spring’s chaos and, finally, the BCWCA training centre is welcoming trainees back to school

By / Jessica Kirby - Photo courtesy of BCWCA

Like the rest of the world, British Columbia felt the strangeness of summer settle in after the initial pandemic panic began to subside and spring faded into the distance. “The summer break was definitely needed after the chaos of the spring,” says Jeff Triggs, executive director for the BCWCA. “It’s nice to get back into a more regular rhythm with school starting here at the association again.”

Back in March, just when COVID-19 caused most of British Columbia—including training facilities—to close, postpone, or dramatically reduce services, staff at the BCWCA was preparing for a new influx of students.

“We were ready to start a Level 3 wall and ceiling class on March 26,” Triggs says. “On March 20, the decision was made to put a hold on the class.”

To say it was a time of real confusion for many would be an understatement. Provincial health directives were changing daily, and uncertainty around how to approach work on construction sites abounded.

“We didn’t know a lot about the virus, society was going into lockdown, and there was no direction yet from the Industry Training Authority (ITA) or WorkSafeBC on whether we should be going ahead or not,” Triggs says. “In addition, a significant portion of our apprentices was pulling out because of their concerns around catching COVID-19.”

Over the summer break, the BCWCA’s administration got to work learning all they could and planning for the future— whatever that might look like. They learned technologies, restructured the learning spaces, and studied the requirements for operational protocol, cleanliness, and social distancing measures in anticipation of beginning again in the fall.

Fast-forward to September, and the team is well-versed in the layers of required protection for individuals and the training facility, and a COVID-19 plan is in place in accordance with WorkSafeBC guidelines.

“With these safety measures in mind and the blessing of the ITA, we felt confident that we could go ahead with our classes again with some slight changes,” Triggs says.

Students’ desks and chairs have been moved to the warehouse where physical distancing can be maintained and ventilation is much better than in the classrooms. Each desk has its own sanitizing materials, and staff is thoroughly cleaning touch points more frequently. In any case where social distancing can not be maintained, masks are mandatory for both staff and students.

“These safety protocols are important as the school cohort represents another group of possible exposures to the apprentices and staff in addition to work, family, friends, and the community,” Triggs says.

In the event that the situation worsens and classes are further delayed or someone becomes ill, BCWCA staff is prepared. “We are using Zoom conferencing as a back up link to fill in where needed,” Triggs says. “We are asking apprentices and staff to stay home if they are feeling any symptoms, so the online availability supports this and lets them keep up with what’s going on in the classroom. While online meetings perpetuate participant fatigue and are not as rich a medium as in-person learning, it allows us to keep moving forward.”

The process has not been flawless, but it has been a smooth as it could have been. The online learning portion is new to the staff, opening up the potential for a steep learning curve. But that wasn’t the case for the BCWCA staff.

“Our head instructor Drew Smith and I had concerns about how it would work,” Triggs says. “I have to say that Drew has done an excellent job and not missed a beat. During the summer, we updated some online resources to mirror the inclass work, in case it’s needed. A joke about old dogs learning new tricks could be put here, but I’ll leave that alone for now.”

The BCWCA is looking ahead with cautious optimism. It has opened registration for a Level 1 wall and ceiling class to start in November, and staff members are starting to plan for the rest of the academic year, which carries through to May 2021.

“Our society has a wide range of opinions on what will and should happen as this pandemic unfolds,” Triggs says. “With public schools re-opened and many people headed back in the office, we are going to find out how worried we should and need to be.”

The most current statistics place young people in the highest number of new infections, which may or may not affect the way education is delivered over the next few months. “We will find out if the demographic shift means hospitalization rates change or stay the same,” Triggs says. “Will the layers of protection keep older people safe or will the virus get passed along at home? By the end of the year—which is only a few months away—we will start to have more clarity on what lies ahead, and we may start to see vaccines and treatments arrive on the scene.

“Either way, I am looking forward to the end of 2020 and excited to be headed toward 2021!”▪