Province Acts to Increase Apprenticeships
Prince George, B.C.- The Provincial Government has set new policy which calls for apprentices to be used on all public projects valued over $15 million dollars.
Effective July 1st, it is expected there will be at least 15 major projects that will be required to have apprentices on the project’s workforce.
Facing a high demand for skilled trades people and an increase in retirement rates of existing trades people, the plan is the result of consultation with a variety of stakeholders.
“We expect this to be the first step” says Ministerof Jobs Tourism and Skills Training , Shirley Bond, “I fully believe that this program will be enhanced over time as we build the data base necessary to make important policy decisions. ”
Bond says there are no numbers attached to how many apprentices must be on a project, but the procurement plan will examine proposals to see how, and how many, apprentices are part of the plan.
The new policy also allows for the Province to withhold the final payment if the promises for apprentices has not been met. “It is a significant step in the right direction” says Minister Bond “It has taken a great deal of discussion which was constructive.”
Tom Sigurdson, Executive Director of the BC Building Trades says apprenticeships are vital “If you want to be a lawyer, you go to law school, if you want to be a doctor you go to medical school, if you want to be a glazier, insulator or iron worker, you have to go to work. Most trades require at least 1600 hours and tools, before an apprentice returns to the classroom for the next level of theory and that’s repeated at least three, and in many instances, four times. Without that opportunity to go to work, you do not have the opportunity to complete your apprenticeship.”
Sigurdson says thousand of people enter trades training every year, but “Unfortunately , many of them leave in frustration because they don’t have the opportunity to work.” He says he is hopeful this new policy will provide more opportunities for British Columbians to finish their trades training. He says he is also hopeful industry will see the value in the program “and step up and make certain they are employing young people and help them through the apprentice system…We have to make sure we are doing the training today for the jobs of tomorrow. Without those skills being developed, we will not be able to build our province.”
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Comments
What’s IPG going to do now? No more free trips to some other country to look for employees.
What about schooling. I have an apprentice now that can’t get in for his fourth year until 2018!
When the BC govt privatized the Ministry of Hwy’s they lost the best mechanic apprenticeship program in the country, bar none.
Over 10 yrs to late.. Industry has been complaining about the cuts and hacks this gov has made to the apprenticeship programs since they got in.. Now they are making it like they are saving the day.. Till you realize there has always been apprentices on every major project for decades… And since the government won’t give out how many apprentices will be involved I would guess 1 per project and then the liberals will say they lived up to the promise … As per usual..if Bond is involved it will fail..
P Val, something is better than nothing.
Pval, you’re absolutely correct, the Liberals cut most apprenticeship programs, now they’re here to save the day.
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Ottawa falls short providing solid labour data, study says
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http ://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/jobs/ottawa-falls-short-providing-solid-labour-data-study-says/article24551903/
(H/t Sophic Sage for the blogging tips.)
So why is the cut off at 15 million, why not all jobs. If the 15 million is a number that at which a contractor MUST hire apprentices and not if it isn’t then the job could be bid at 7.5 million in two stages one after another. The apprenticeships in BC are the worst in Canada, IMHO, and I am not referring to the quality of the trades but the difficulty a apprentice has to find work after he or she get out of school, its like they are not wanted. I think a piss-poor job was done In promoting apprentice value in the last 20 years.
Theres already alot of apprentices on every project, The companies just charge them out as qualified tradesmen. Bill for 60$ an hour and pay them 18.
They could get the same results by just using the trade unions for public jobs. Most trade unions have quota’s for apprentices on the job and tend to train their own. Its the non union outfits that get a contract and then need to find a work force so they import what ever tradesmen they can find and apply for the temporary worker programs.
Under this plan the BCGEU employees will have a large role to play in deciding if a company is meeting its quota’s.
I find it interesting and ironic that BCGEU spends big dollars advertising on the Peden Hill sign that is owned by a non union construction company that gets its contract using labor arbitrage to under cut the union rate. I guess the more the government saves on its capital spending programs going non union without a training program in place, then the more money the government will have available for BCGEU contracts….
So is this just a way to ensure the apprentice issue with non union companies is messaged for public opinion, so the government can continue with the unofficial mantra of unions are only good for the government worker?
I believe the union of non-union contractors (independent contractors association of BC) had a major part to play in the gutting of the apprenticeship program in BC. IMHO
Bill for $60 and pay them $18? Is this truly the BC way because my 21 yr old son lives in Edmonton and has been there since high school graduation and after completing the CTC Electrical trade program could not find a job anywhere in PG. Yet in AB, he is now in his 4th yr and is getting paid $43/hr.
When asked if he would ever return to PG for work – he states, not on your life. During his CTC program he was even willing to work for free just for some electrical field experience and nobody would give him a chance. Yet 6 mths later, he was working full-time in AB and hasn’t stopped since.
Something has to really change in this province. My other son is in the CTC heavy-duty mechanics program and I wonder if I will lose another son to AB…
Raven, you can’t compare Alberta to here.. I make $140,000 a year and the guys doing the same job in Alberta in the patch are making $200,000. Homes there are stupid expensive compared to here.. To me it’s not worth it. Also with the fluctuation in the price of oil you could be out of work without notice.
When the provincial gov first started cutting funding for apprenticeships, about 10 yrs ago they had numerous representatives from union and non Union business’s explain at a conference to the government why the cuts are bad.. The gov ignored them and cut anyway..and kept cutting.. Relying on foreign workers..
there’s something missing here. It makes no difference what the government promises or does. You cant take a pre apprentice program and then expect to get a job. it is the employer that has to request or need an apprentice before they can get an apprenticeship.
As long as the employer has the trades men that he needs he will not set up an apprenticeship program that cost them money.
Cheers
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