Frequently Asked Questions
For Mentors
I am interested in participating in the program. Can you clarify on what you mean by “apprenticeship”?
Certainly! By apprenticeship, we refer to engaging students in projects where they can acquire practical skills and experience while working closely with established artists or artist collectives. This hands-on approach provides established artists and cultural workers with support they need in their practices while helping students apply their classroom learnings in real-world settings and preparing them for professional art careers.
Who is eligible to apply? What do you mean by established?
The program is open to all established artists, artist collectives, and cultural workers associated with a not-for-profit art organization located in the Lower Mainland. This includes regular and non-regular faculty at Emily Carr University engaged in projects and practice outside of the school.
For Artists: All artists with an active studio practice are encouraged to apply. Participating artists must be engaged in studio practice or the development of applied projects or collaborations (as opposed to doing contract work) and must be able to commit adequate time and attention to train and mentor an apprentice. Artists must have completed basic academic training in a relevant field or should be recognized by their peers and must have publicly shared an independent body of their work within the last three years.
For Individuals Associated with a Cultural Not-for-Profit Organization: We welcome all individuals associated with a cultural not-for-profit organization with a well-defined project or scope of work fit for an apprentice to apply. Participating cultural workers must have supervisory experience and must be able to commit adequate time and attention to supervise, train and mentor an apprentice: the mentorship should be led by a particular individual within the organization.
What is the structure of the apprenticeship program?
Our program employs a part-time apprenticeship model, where your apprentice will work with you for a maximum of 150 hours. The breakdown of apprenticeship hours is flexible to accommodate both the mentor’s and the apprentice’s schedules. For example, you can allocate 10-12 hours per week over the course of 12-18 weeks anytime within the cycle. Please note that all apprenticeships must finish by December 31.
Is it possible to have two apprentices?
No. Our program is designed to pair one student with one mentor. This is to ensure that mentors and apprentices can foster meaningful relationships and to allow our students to gain the most experience they can possibly get.
How does the selection process work?
All applications are forwarded along to the Selection Committee, who evaluate each application for clarity of scope, ability to outline expectations, ability to demonstrate the learning opportunities for an apprentice as well as the benefit an apprentice would bring to the project. The Selection Committee is comprised of leadership from Work Integrated Learning, Academic Affairs and the Shumka Centre as well as current students and program alumni.
Does the program cover any project-related expenses?
No. We are not responsible for reimbursing any project-related expenses including production space fees, travel expenses for apprentices, materials, artist fees, etc. These costs will fall under the responsibility of the mentor.
Can my apprentice and I utilize the facilities at ECU?
No, the program does not allow mentors to use institutional resources. The apprenticeship is designed to take place in the artist’s studio and other off-site locations. This approach helps ensure students are exposed to environments and resources they might access after graduation, as our facilities are not available to alumni or external parties.
What is the hourly wage for apprentices?
We pay our students per Emily Carr University’s Student Employment Rates. These rates are adjusted for inflation at about 2% every year. To get the most current rate, please send us an email: shumka@ecuad.ca.
For Apprentices
This Spring will be my last term at ECU. Am I eligible to apply?
Yes, we welcome applications from all graduating students.
I am an international student, and don’t have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)/my SIN has expired. Can I still apply?
You can submit your application without a valid SIN, however we strongly encourage all international students wanting to gain work experience to apply for a SIN right away. You can apply for a SIN by going to a Service Canada Centre in person. For more information, please refer to the Government of Canada website.
Am I eligible to apply if I am an international student who does not have a work permit?
Yes, current international students with a valid study permit and Social Insurance Number are eligible to apply. All apprentices are hired by and work for the Shumka Centre.
Can I apply for more than one mentor?
Yes, you can apply for multiple mentors. Please note that each mentor requires you to complete a separate application form. Simply complete and submit one form for each mentor you’re interested in working with.
What is the difference between a CV and Resume?
A Resume is a one-to-two-page summary of your work experience, skills and educational background customized to the position you are applying for. It is applicable for all industries. On the other hand, a CV is a comprehensive overview of all your work and education experiences, accomplishments (i.e. awards and grants received), exhibition history, and publications.
You can refer to the Writing Centre’s Writing an Artist’s CV (found under Resources) for additional guidance.
Where can I get assistance preparing my application?
We encourage you to visit the Writing Centre and explore their resources, such as their Cover Letter Basics and Writing an Artist’s CV, which are available to students.
I forgot to include one section (i.e. Cover Letter, CV/Portfolio, References) in my application package. What do I do?
We ask that you resubmit your application form. Please include your missing section and package it as one single PDF, titled “Your Name_AAN Application_Mentor Name_REV”.
What is the hourly wage for apprentices?
Apprentices are paid per Emily Carr University’s Student Employment Rates (Undergraduate Level 2 and Graduate Rates). You can access the most current rates here (refer to Wage Rates). Please note that your wages are broken down by your base rate and your total hourly wage, which includes your vacation (4%) and stat pay (4.4%).
How often will I be paid?
You will be filling in a timesheet. As long as you keep your timesheets up to date, you can expect to be paid on a biweekly basis. You can refer to the Payroll Schedule for the exact pay date.
This is my first time completing the Payroll Package Form. I am not sure how to complete it, especially the tax forms.
Don’t worry! There is a first time for everything. As part of your employment offer, we will be circulating the ‘Instructions on Completing Payroll Forms for Student Hires’ which will help guide you. Should you have any further questions about how to fill your payroll package form, you can reach out to us at shumka@ecuad.ca.
I am struggling to access/log my hours in the Self-Serve Time Entry system. Can you help?
Yes, of course. Please connect with us at shumka@ecuad.ca so we can share the resources created by our Finance and IT department.
Still have questions? You can reach out to us at shumka@ecuad.ca