Achieve

Overview

As a student in Achieve you make key choices to prepare yourself for life after high school by focusing on being well, taking part in your community and linking your interests to future learning and career options. You learn skills that will help you:

• Make key choices about your future
• Build connections with others
• Explore future learning and career options
• Speak up for yourself and learn about what services and supports you can access

Through in-person, hands-on learning, you build confidence in a range of social and community spaces. You also learn new ways to cope with stress, make choices and solve problems. You will learn to use tools and technology to support your goals.

Meet Achieve students and learn more about the program by watching this short video.

Work experience

• Work-integrated learning is a required part of your program. It provides you with two blocks of time to explore areas of interest and apply what you learned in class. Work-integrated learning is most often unpaid and lasts up to a total of 5 weeks.
• You pay for your own travel, a place to stay and other costs related to your work placement.
• For more information, visit Work Experience Opportunities.

Choose NSCC

• During this one-year program as an NSCC student you will learn about your strengths and how to make choices about your life. This could include goals for work, learning, where you live and being a part of your community.

Other info

• There is no application fee for the Achieve Program.
• It's up to each student to arrange travel to and from the program.
• Applicants will need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) to participate in the program.
• The Achieve Program is offered by NSCC with funding from the Federal government, province of Nova Scotia and Regional Centres for Education.
• For more information about the Achieve program at a campus near you, please contact your local Achieve Coordinator.

2023-24 programs

Program delivery may be subject to change based on Public Health guidelines.

September 2023

Campus	Location	Full time/part time	Delivery	Availability
Akerley Campus	Dartmouth	Full time	In person Delivered in-person. Some courses may have online elements.	Waitlist
Annapolis Valley Campus	Middleton	Full time	In person Delivered in-person. Some courses may have online elements.	Seats available
Burridge Campus	Yarmouth	Full time	In person Delivered in-person. Some courses may have online elements.	Seats available
Institute of Technology Campus	Halifax	Full time	In person Delivered in-person. Some courses may have online elements.	Seats available
Lunenburg Campus	Bridgewater	Full time	In person Delivered in-person. Some courses may have online elements.	Seats available
Marconi Campus	Sydney	Full time	In person Delivered in-person. Some courses may have online elements.	Waitlist
Pictou Campus	Stellarton	Full time	In person Delivered in-person. Some courses may have online elements.	Seats available
Strait Area Campus	Port Hawkesbury	Full time	In person Delivered in-person. Some courses may have online elements.	Seats available
Truro Campus	Truro	Full time	In person Delivered in-person. Some courses may have online elements.	Seats available

Admission requirements

• Applicants must be between 17-21 years of age.
• Applicants must be a high school graduate from a Nova Scotia Regional Centre of Education.
• High School Graduation Diploma, including a transcript that indicates Individual Program Plan (IPP) designated credit(s) in any Grade 12 course or your highest Math course.
• For IPPs in Social Development or Life Skills, a copy of the IPP must be included with the application. A completed Achieve referral form (PDF 95KB).
• Interview – applicants will be required to participate in an interview at the campus. There are two purposes for the interview. One is to help applicants gain an understanding of the knowledge, skills and abilities required for participation in the program. The second, is to give applicants an opportunity to meet with program staff and, together, determine if the program is a good fit. Please review our detailed interview and application requirements (PDF 615KB).
• If you are an organization that would like more information about how to refer an applicant to Achieve, please review the Referring Partner Checklist (PDF 619KB).

Program requirements

• Each student is required to complete Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) and Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) training by September 30 or within 4 weeks of commencement of the program.

Tuition

Tuition amounts are for the 2022-23 academic year. Program costs and fees (textbooks, supplies, etc.) are additional. 2023-24 tuition will be announced in the late Spring.

Tuition, fees and program costs

Note: these are covered for Achieve students through the MOA so there are no fees.

View detailed program fees page(s). Please note that amounts on these pages are meant for planning purposes only. They don't represent final amounts owing.

• Achieve