Workforce Roundtable To Identify Trades Needs and Shortages
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 @ 4:28 AM
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Prince George, B.C.- Proponents of a special a trades training centre for the former Rustad sawmill site huddled with members of the Provincial Government late last week to garner support for their project.
Minister of Jobs, Trade and Innovation, Pat Bell says the session went well “We agreed to do a workforce roundtable” says Bell “That will give us a detailed analysis of what the needs are going to be , what the short falls are in the trades areas. If the shortfalls are simply in the number of seats, or infrastructure, so do we need more training space, or is it just a question of seats in existing space?” He expects that analysis will be done within a month or 6 weeks.
Once that work is done, Bell says they will be in a better position to deal with the Rustad site and see what’s necessary to advance training in British Columbia.
Many of the companies supporting the Rustad training site, say the forecasted skilled labour shortage is already here and it is causing companies to miss opportunities. “I have heard that as well,” says Bell, “ People have yet to identify what the specific shortfalls are, and what the training needs are. Keep in mind, these are generally 4 year programs we would likely be targeting later in the year to start them anyway. I think the most reasonable thing to do is to do the detailed analysis as necessary so we are training the right people if there are currently shortfalls.”
Bell expects the Workforce Roundtable will start its work within the next week or ten days. He says the Roundtable’s work should be completed rather quickly with results in the latter part of May or early June.
Canfor and the BID Group of Companies are working together to develop a trades training facility on the former Rustad sawmill site in Prince George. They hope to offer classes as early as September 2013.
Brian Fehr of BID Group says in addition to there being a shortage of skilled trades people it makes sense to train them in the north where they live, and where they will stay .
Comments
didn’t we just build a $20million trades training bldg at CNC in PG and $10million in Quesnel? Why would we ant to put our tax $ to Canfor or BID when they haven’t supported trades training by hiring apprentices for the last 25 years?
Ask around, Canfor is famous for “poaching” 4th apprentices or journeymen from all the little companies who made the time and money investment in training. The two reasons they are doing this now is 1. because there aren’t enuff apps around to steal and 2. they are not planning to train journeymen, they want to train specific to their needs so people won’t have the skills/knowledge to be able to work in a trade any where else. Oh and then they can pay them less. People should think twice about jumping on this bandwagon.
I don’t hear about these guys calling on PGNAETA to partner up or offering first nations people (real) opportunities either…
jmho
Oh yeah and I wonder if this is a way to hand over the site to the gov as a ‘training center’ and not have to pay for the environmental cleanup form an industrial site that operated for 30 or so years there?
Maybe Canfor should keep the property and lease it to the Training School at a nominal cost.
This would ensure that we the taxpayers would not be liable for any clean-up if there is clean up required, and Canfor would continue to be the owner.
In any event one would think that Mr. Bell and his associates would ensure that we the taxpayers do not get stuck with any additional costs. Wouldnt he??
Insofar as the training goes. These companies should be doing in house training as much as possible. If you train your employee’s and treat them well they will stay with you. If someone else trains them, and you do not treat them well they will move on.
There is no gaurantee that if they train in Prince George they will stay here. In fact there is a good chance the opposite will happen.
Lots of work all over the Province these days. Take your pick.
What environmental cleanup would be required at a sawmill site? The mill is well on the way to being dismantled . Some of the buildings are being reused. Possibly a few underground tanks. Nothing that would make it an environmental wasteland.
Thanks for the heads up Palopu and I must also say that the trades training center that is already built would provide the best training oportunities the Province has to offer. If this is just a means to train people to do certain jobs or to get the land cleaned up then they should say just what it is.
“What environmental cleanup would be required at a sawmill site? The mill is well on the way to being dismantled . Some of the buildings are being reused. Possibly a few underground tanks. Nothing that would make it an environmental wasteland.”
They drained what they could of the Konus oil from the pipes that go to the kilns. They didn’t get it all. To do a proper clean up those pipes would have to be dug up. The oil in the ground at the mobile shop would have to be dug up and treated. Just like they do at service stations when they are shut down. Underground glycol pipes that carried antifreeze to heat the mill snake all over the sawmill traysorter site. I don’t know if those pipes were drained.
When did Canfor buy this site? From what I understand it’s still owned by BC Rail Properties.
Colleges in BC are underfunded now. CNC to the tune of 2 million. They could run more classes if they had more money. But first they need apprentices and then the government has to cough up the funding so the colleges can put on classes..
Why doesn’t Canfor (and any other union shop) train their own? It’s simple, they must follow the collective agreement when the positions are available. They don’t like training 40+ year old candidates.
I doubt that Canfor could be donating the land for the training centre if it was owned by BC Rail. I understand that they originally leased the land from the BC Rail Properties, and would have had to rehabilate the property if they shut the mill down. I assume that sometime after the BC Rail was sold they purchaed the property???
In any event there would be a significant clean up cost attached to this property. If it is turned over to the Government, then I guess we get it.??
Censored, BID has done way more than it’s fair share of training apprentices. As for
Canfor, which division? The lumber manufacturing side is notorious for not giving out apprenticeships, while the Pulp side does do a bit better.
Part of the problem with the forest industry, aside from not giving out apprenticeships, is retention. As a multi
trade holder the last place I am going to look for work if I have to is the forest
industry. They can’t/won’t compete as far as wages & benefits are concerned & they
can’t seem to get out of the confrontational management vs. worker
mindset. If I were an apprentice, the moment I hear there are better conditions & compensation in other industries….
There is something fishy going on here.
It makes no sense for another training center to be constructed in Prince George or anywhere near here, no matter who is paying for it.
CNC is underfunded, they have training facilities already in place for most of the common trades, with satellite facilities in Quesnel, Vanderhoof, F.S. James, Terrace, and Smithers.
Are they running at capacity?
Already there are trade facilities for:
-HD mechanic
-Auto mechanic
-Welding, all types
-Millwrighting
-Plumbing
-Electrical (at least a pre-app program)
-Carpentry & wood working
-Auto body
-Power engineering
-Mobile equipment operators
-Heavy equipment operators
-Small engine repair
-Rigging and lifting
From the CNC website:
“Don’t see what you want? We can develop a training program specifically to meet your needs.
Call us at 250-561-5846 or Toll free at
1-800-371-8111 ext. 5846.”
So why would this area need a NEW facility?
And WHY would Pat Bell et. al. be interested? If anything, he and the rest of the MLA types should be promoting what we have in place already.
My suspicion is that Bid Group and certain people within Canfor, and others, do not like the way that CNC operates, so they want to set up tailor made solutions for their own needs. There would be nothing wrong with that, if it is true, unless there are already solutions, or capability already existing, such as CNC.
metalman.
“-Electrical (at least a pre-app program)”
Full blown electrical training metalman and they have had this program for a very long time. Not only do they have a pre-app program they also have an Electrical CTC program.
“I assume that sometime after the BC Rail was sold they purchaed the property???”
Not that I’m aware of as the rumor around Rustads before it closed down was that the lease was up and CN wanted it for container storage.
“And WHY would Pat Bell et. al. be interested? If anything, he and the rest of the MLA types should be promoting what we have in place already.”
Election coming maybe? They will do a photo op and preach how well they support the trades when they announce the support (money) for such a facility. In the mean time there isn’t enough money for CNC now.
Smells like it could be a pre-election pat on the back like in 2009. Back rub here back rub there….Canfor announces Mackenzie Sawmill reopening because of help from government and concessions made by the Mackenzie sawmill employees. Two weeks after the election Canfor shuts down Rustads.
Another reason for Canfor to keep this place going is because of their plans they only had to pay severance for a partial plant closure as some employees stayed on as watchmen. Very slimy but that is just my opinion.
metalman – I agree something is not right here. What would BID and Canfor gain? Why is Brian Fehr apt on rezoning areas recently to “Institutional”? I do know Marshall Smith is working at BID. BID is also involved with the Heavy Metal program with CNC/School District #57/Construction Association and many more. I cannot see it as not liking the way CNC operates. Is it the rezoning? Tax breaks? Is it points for the LIberals for the next election? How is this “New” facility being funded? Will there be an environmental assessment from a third party that is not affiliated with the government or the proponents?
Bell and the proponents should be looking at our existing training facilities. Enough drain on the taxpayers. If these companies really want to assist people then what about grants, bursaries, training their own, sponsorships, more apprenticships and the list goes on. Sorry, I see this “New” school as a benefit to the proponents only. Companies do not get involved at this magnitude without financial gain somewhere….
As a tax payer I am tire of paying for dead horses. Use the existing facilities and start playing nice in the sandbox for pete’s sake……
I have yet to hear what trades they want to train out at the Mill ? How different is it from the ones already done at CNC ? What will be the fee structure, will the students be able to afford it ?
From what I hear the autobody course at CNC is about to be shutdown as lack of students, yet there is no shortage of jobs in that sector in the region. So just because you build the training doesn’t mean people will come.
the old saying goes in business; “turn your biggest liabilities into your biggest assets”
Better yet have the taxpayor pay for taking all this off your shoulders and have the benefits of your very own training center..free!
Seemingly Bell is approaching this from the right angle…fact finding prior to commitment to this group.
Prior to the privatization of the Ministry of Highways maintenance program, our govt had the best HD Mechanic apprenticeship program in the province, bar none!
“I don’t hear about these guys calling on PGNAETA to partner up or offering first nations people (real) opportunities either…”
Do you hear about PGNAETA calling on non first nations people to partner up or offer them (real) opportunities?
This deal smells a lot like a scheme being cooked up by govt and their bedfellows in business to “privatize” our trades training in BC.
Wow, I have never seen such speculation, fueled by ignorance, jealousy and contemp.
It is a foregone conclusion that any thing involving governments has got to be a scam. The lieberals have taught us well.
Interceptor: “Wow, I have never seen such speculation, fueled by ignorance, jealousy and contemp”
Or perhaps genuine interest and concern?
Some legitimate questions have been posed about this trade school proposal.
metalman.
In terms of CNC being underfunded, which it is, keep in mind that Trades programs are funded through a different minstry, not advanced education, but Jobs, Trades, and Tourism (someone please correct me if I’m wrong) and the direct funding for seats in these programs come the Industrial Training Authority. As such, Trades programs must follow the curriula set out by ITA and are not free to make their own up as they please. Since Trades training in this area is already being managed by CNC with funding from ITA, it would seem to me that short of some sort of PPP agreement between private industry, ITA, and CNC, the goal must be the privatization of Trades training.
This will not benefit anyone but those who stand to make money from such an enterprise.
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