A member with a mixed academic background — 10th grade, a 1-year ITI (Industrial Training Institute) welding certificate, an apprenticeship, and 12th grade completed later through an open/distance board — asked how this patchwork history, plus a 1-year gap after 12th, would be viewed for a study permit application.
What the thread suggested:- ITI certificates are generally not recognized as equivalent credentials in Canada, and trying to present one can also create a mismatch issue — for example, showing welding (a trade) alongside academic subjects like arts, with no clear subject relevance, may work against the application rather than for it.
- Completing 12th grade via an open/distance state board is not automatically disqualifying. Some colleges, Conestoga was named as an example, do accept open-board 12th results — so eligibility can depend heavily on the specific college's admission policy rather than a blanket rule.
- Lower percentages combined with an ITI certificate were described as making a profile look less consistent ("dashy") to reviewers, suggesting it's worth being selective about which academic history you emphasize and which colleges you target.
The practical takeaway: don't assume an ITI certificate or open-board 12th automatically disqualifies you — but do research individual college admission policies (some, like Conestoga, are known to accept open-board results), and think carefully about how a trade certificate like ITI fits (or doesn't) with the program you're applying to.