Government of Canada launches new Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women to help them get certified in Red Seal trades

News release

December 11, 2018 | Gatineau, Quebec | Employment and Social Development Canada

Canada’s prosperity depends on Canadians having the skills, training and experience they need to get good quality jobs and succeed in a changing economy. To help meet the increasing need for more workers in the trades, the Government of Canada is taking a leadership role by introducing new initiatives to encourage women to enter and succeed in Red Seal trades where they are under-represented.

Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, announced that the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women is now available to eligible apprentices

The new Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women provides $3,000 per year or level, up to a maximum amount of $6,000, to registered apprentices who have successfully completed their first or second year/level of an apprenticeship program in eligible Red Seal trades. This, in combination with the existing Apprenticeship Completion Grant valued at $2,000, could result in combined grant support of up to $8,000 over the course of their training. Women apprentices who progress in their training on or after April 1, 2018, may be eligible for the new grant.

Applications are available online by visiting Canada.ca/apprenticeship-grants or call toll-free 1-866-742-3644 (TTY: 1-866-909-9757) to request an application form.

The new Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women supports gender equality and better economic outcomes for women by giving them more opportunities to access typically higher-paying Red Seal trades where they are under-represented.

Quotes

“When people are given opportunities to succeed and reach their full potential, we all benefit. The new Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women is one way our government is including under-represented groups to help fill the high demand for workers in the Red Seal trades. When people start their Red Seal training, they are not only starting down a well-paying, fulfilling career path, they are driving our country forward.”
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour

Quick facts

• Approximately one in five employed Canadians are represented in the skilled trades professions. At the end of 2017, there were 309,441 registered apprentices across Canada (2017 Registered Apprenticeship Information System).
• Women account for nine percent of apprentices in Red Seal trades, and only five percent when “traditional” trades (hairstylist, cook and baker) are removed (2017 Registered Apprenticeship Information System).
• The Government of Canada is investing almost $20 million over five years to pilot the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women.
• The AIG-W is one of several Government of Canada initiatives to support women and other groups who face barriers to entering and succeeding in the skilled trades, including the Women in Construction Fund and the pre-apprenticeship program.

Link to the news release:  Government of Canada launches new Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women to help them get certified in Red Seal trades

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On Thursday November 22  Steve Corban and Ron Harry of LNG Canada took some time to check out the FTI of BC and the apprenticeship programs we deliver here.

By now, just about everyone has heard about the $40 billion dollar natural gas plant that LNG Canada is developing in Northern BC. This will be the single largest construction project ever undertaken in the history of the province. As part of their due diligence, LNG Canada has begun touring many of the BC Building Trades Union’s training facilities in order to gauge their readiness to help develop the necessary number of qualified tradespeople that will be required for a project of such a massive scope. Based on the feedback we received from both Corban and Harry, they have every confidence that we have what it takes to deliver the goods.

The two LNG Canada representatives took the time to tour through the entire FTI training facility and see the four apprenticeship programs we deliver here however, their main focus was on the brand new state-of-the-art Industrial Painting building and the highly specialized equipment it contains. Part time Industrial Instructor and full time DC 38 Painting Representative, Justin Chapman, accompanied the pair through the Industrial Painting section of the tour and was able to answer some of the more technical inquiries our guests had. At the end of the tour Corban remarked that we should all be very proud of our facility and the great work we do here.

It’s always gratifying touring individuals through our facility when it’s their first time. They really don’t know what to expect when they enter but by the end of the tour everyone expresses their appreciation for what we do and the quality of our facility and the enthusiasm of our instructors.

We say bring on LNG because we are ready!

On Monday of this week we welcomed Kyle Kozak, the Carpentry Program Manager for The Open Door Group, and a group of bright young women who are looking for a career in the construction trades, to the FTI of BC. These women are all part of a cohort of individuals who are undergoing a ten week “Women In The Trades” introductory program, specifically geared towards introducing women to the construction trades.

Director of Training for the FTI, Paddy Byrne, had been in discussions with Kozak since early summer with regard to looking at opportunities for his WITT group to explore what was involved in an apprenticeship through the four finishing trades programs we instruct at our facility. Based on the feedback we received from the group, a career in the finishing trades was a very attractive option. Given the fact that DC 38 contractors are going through a period of high employment and everyone of them is looking for the right individual to hire, the timing couldn’t have been better for the Open Door Group and the WITT program participants to come through our doors.

After the visit, some of the women who expressed an interest in our programs asked Kozak to follow up with us and see who they would need to contact to start a career in the finishing trades. We have now provided everyone who was on the tour with the contact information of all of our business representatives for each of the specific trades. We look forward to some of the women in the WITT program launching a career with one of our contractors.

With only a small percentage of women choosing to work in the construction trades, the FTI of BC is looking to do our part in showing more women the rewards that come with working in construction, and in particular, the finishing trades.

Goretti Guibault and Brian Cochrane: Community Benefits Agreements needed to fix 16 years of mishandling apprenticeships and training

Goretti Guibault & Brian Cochrane

Updated: August 11, 2018

Much has been written recently about whether British Columbia’s new Community Benefits Agreements process for major public construction projects are a good thing.

But what hasn’t been much discussed is why. Community Benefits Agreements are needed. It’s pretty simple: Because apprenticeship training was mishandled for 16 years in B.C. and the number of skilled workers being trained dramatically deteriorated.

The facts prove it.

Statistics Canada found that in 2016 B.C. had 4,500 fewer new apprentices signed up than in 2013, despite huge demand in the booming construction industry.

And total registrants in B.C. apprenticeships dropped from 4,110 between 2005 to 2009 to just 2,778 from 2009 to 2014.

Red Seal trades certifications — the highest standard recognized across Canada since 1952 — dropped in B.C. from 84 per cent between 2001 to 2004 to just 65 per cent between 2011 to 2014.

This when employers were desperately searching for skilled trades workers, even resorting to hiring temporary foreign workers and causing a national controversy as they displaced Canadians.

What happened? In 2002, the then-new B.C. Liberal government literally blew up the province’s apprenticeship program at the request of some short-sighted construction employers, who thought they could save money by cutting training.

The changes were radical:

Hours of required on-the-job training were dramatically cut and professional titles downgraded. A carpenter who needed 6,450 hours over four years could be replaced by a “residential framing technician” doing just 500 hours on the job in one year.

B.C. eliminated 11 compulsory-designated trades, including electricians, plumbers, sheet metal workers and steamfitters/pipefitters —becoming the only province with none.

The number of Provincial Apprenticeship Branch staff was initially slashed from about 120 to just 12.

The province created 28 new apprenticeship programs in 2005 but then eliminated 11 of them by 2013, creating more confusion in the trades.

Labour and education representatives who had always been a key part of apprenticeship governance were removed, taking away experienced, knowledgeable people from the program.

These and other changes created chaos in the apprenticeship system.

As bad as things were generally, they were much worse for women, Indigenous workers, people with disabilities and others hoping to enter the skilled trades to get a better job and life.

Only 13 per cent of apprentices in 2016 were women, despite provincial government claims it was promoting the trades to underrepresented groups.

And one of the new apprenticeships created in 2005 was “Native residential construction worker,” which encouraged 1,005 registrations. But it was one of the programs eliminated and by 2014 there was no one left registered.

The plain facts are that the B.C. Liberal government — strongly backed by non-union contractors and unions not recognized as legitimate by Canada’s labour movement — simply screwed up our apprenticeship program.

Now that regrettable situation has to be fixed — and fast — as B.C. has fallen dramatically behind in producing apprentices with the skills needed to build our province.

Community Benefits Agreements won’t solve all the problems 16 years of incompetence created, but they are a very good start.

It only makes sense that government partner with those labour organizations that have led skills training initiatives and invest millions of dollars annually in partnership with construction contractors to ensure B.C. has the skilled workforce ready to meet pending demand.

It’s time to get back to work on apprenticeships so we can build B.C. properly and train the next generation of workers we urgently need. Community Benefits Agreements will help get the job done right.

Goretti Guibault is a heavy equipment operator who mentors other women entering trades and is on the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 115 executive board. Brian Cochrane is business manager, IUOE Local 115.

Brian Cochrane

The Finishing Trades Institute of BC has just shared an important milestone with one of our recent graduates. Jillian Steeves, became our first ever (ACE-IT) student to receive all of her in-school apprenticeship training and complete the Red Seal, Painter Decorator program with the FTI of BC. The fact that our first ever (ACE-IT) student to complete this feat is a woman, makes this an even more rewarding accomplishment.

For years now, we in the building trades have recognized that our traditional sources of recruitment are falling short when it comes to replacing our ageing skilled workforce. This is why when the (ACE-IT) program came along we were all in when it came to making this program a success. The Youth Train In Trades (ACE IT) program is an Industry Training Authority (ITA) youth initiative that provides support for students to acquire training that leads to certification as a journeyman, while they are enrolled in high school. Jillian was actually writing her high school final exams and making plans for Grad, the week she started her apprenticeship training at the FTI.

Thanks to the encouragement of a dedicated and proactive high school councillor at Frank Hurt Secondary School, located in Surrey, Jillian found her way into the (ACE-IT) program. Jillian told us that she had always had an interest in interior design and the use of colours so the painting program just felt like a natural fit. And fit in she has!

After completing her first level of training, Jillian set out to land her first job as a painter. Warline Painting Limited, had a sharp-eyed HR person, who also just happens to be a woman, who immediately spotted the potential in Jillian and offered her a career with their company.  Jillian can’t say enough good things about her employer and the support she has received throughout her apprenticeship. In addition to allowing her the flexibility in her schedule to allow her to attend apprenticeship training, Warline Painting, also paid her full tuition.

In return, Warline Painting now has a Red Seal Journeyperson, who this week is leading a crew of six men working on several “High-End” homes around the Lower Mainland. Not too shabby when you consider that Jillian is only 21 years old. When we asked Jillian what it was like leading an all male crew she told us that she couldn’t be happier with the way she has been accepted. In fact, she told us, her co-workers appreciate the fact that she was prepared to shoulder the responsibility of being the lead person and relieve them of the stress that goes with that job.

However, some of Jillian’s highest praise goes to the FTI of BC and specifically her instructor, Chico Albino. Chico taught Jillian through all three levels of her schooling and speaks glowingly of her work ethic, her attention to detail and her maturity for such a young person. Jillian appreciated Chico’s patience and how he allowed her to learn from the mistakes she made and to not allow those mistakes to impede her goal of completing the program and earning her Red Seal. Chico allowed her to work and learn in and environment where the stresses were minimized and the successes were emphasised.

When we asked Jillian what was the greatest satisfaction she took from her experience here at the FTI and what advice she would give to other young people, she didn’t hesitate in giving us an answer. “Start out with the goal of finishing what you’ve started”. That is exactly what she accomplished when she successfully wrote and passed the Red Seal exam. Pretty good advice from a very impressive young woman.

On a recent flight to Ottawa for a Building Trades Conference, Director of Training of the Finishing Trades Institute of BC, Paddy Byrne, was approached by a gentleman who noticed that he was wearing an FTI shirt. “I see you are wearing a Finishing Trades Institute shirt. I would like a tour of your facility” the gentleman said. “Of course” replied Byrne “now, who are you”?

It turns out that gentleman was Liberal MP for Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge, Dan Ruimy. Then another gentleman spoke up and said “I’d like a tour too”. Byrne was surprised to see that his own local MP, Ron McKinnon, who represents Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam, was also on the flight. Byrne immediately extended an invitation to both Ron and Dan and yesterday both MP’s had their opportunity to see first hand the excellent work we do here at the FTI of BC.

The Liberal Government and their Leader, Justin Trudeau, has made no secret of the fact that they are big supporters of Union apprenticeship training facilities across Canada. In the time that the Liberals have been in office, no fewer than five Liberal MP’s have taken the opportunity to tour our school here in Surrey. Our local MP, Randeep Sarai, has been here twice. The previous Conservative administration, under the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, never once stepped foot into our training centre during their entire tenure.

In the next ten years it is believed that 248,000 construction workers across Canada will retire from the workforce. Union training facilities in every province in this country are doing our part to train the next generation of Red Seal tradespeople. It’s comforting to see that there is a Federal Government in place now that appreciates our contributions in developing tomorrow’s skilled workforce.

We are proud and excited to invite you to the launch of the BC Centre for Women in the Trades. Join the Honourable Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills & Training, and the BCCWITT governance partners: BC Federation of Labour; BC Building Trades; BC LNG Alliance; Construction Labour Relations Association of BC; BC Tradeswomen Society, Build TogetHER for light refreshments June 28th, 2018 at 6:30 – 8:00pm IBEW 1424 Broadway St, Port Coquitlam.

Your RSVP is required by June 22nd info@BCtradeswomen.org

The BC Centre for Women in the Trades will provide programs and services for women and industry to support the retention and advancement of women in the trades. The BCCWITT would like to thank the Government of Canada and the BC Government for their sponsorship of this program

This week the Finishing Trades Institute of BC, lent our assistance to two of our painting contractors at a hiring fair in North Vancouver. The Squamish and Tsleil Waututh Nations along with the YWCA and Work BC held a joint hiring fair at the Lonsdale Pipe Shop next to the Lonsdale Quay. This was the second hiring fair of its type held on the North Shore and based on more than double the traffic through the event this year, the fair could only be described as an overwhelming success.

Our signatory contractor, Done Right Painting, was joined this year by another member contractor, Ross Rex Industrial Painters. The FTI had partnered with Done Right Painting at last years event and we were happy to be back again lending our expertise. We are starting to get pretty good at displaying our wares at these events, having started to increase our attendance at fairs such as these over the past couple of years. Even with the small area we had to work with, we still managed to put on a pretty good display of what the FTI and our contractors have to offer in the way of a career as a commercial or industrial painter and the training that goes along with the Red Seal apprenticeship.

Beyond the ability to speak with potential candidates who showed an interest in going to work for our contractors, there was also plenty of opportunity to interact with other contractors and professional groups at the fair. The event was MC’d by Peter Baker, of the Squamish Nation Trades Training Centre, who is a big supporter of the FTI. The Squamish Nation Trades Centre has partnered with us in delivering introductory trades training in painting and wall and ceiling installation to individuals from First Nations communities.

By the end of the event we had several potential candidates who were interested in our programs and the potential for a career in the Finishing Trades.

On May 30, 2018 the FTI returned to the Delta Schools Trades Fair for another successful exhibition of what an apprenticeship at the Finishing Trades looks like.

Literally thousands of students, teachers and high school councillors took this opportunity to explore the benefits and satisfaction that comes with a career earned through a Red Seal apprenticeship delivered by the FTI of BC. The feedback from our participation at this event has been all positive. In fact, at a recent meeting of school board representatives south of the Fraser river,  there were comments made that the FTI had the best display at the show.

We tried to be as interactive with the students as possible in showing them some of the tools, equipment and materials we use in the four trades we teach, through a couple of hands on activities.  We actually ran the battery dead in our scissor lift by 2:30 in the afternoon due to the high demand by students for a ride. Line-ups occurred throughout the day as students and teachers lined up for an opportunity to take a ride with our Health and Safety Coordinator, Andrew Swan.

At the end of the day the entire enterprise was about raising awareness of the Finishing Trades and to that end all of our representatives who attended the fair agreed it was well worth attending. We definitely intend to return next year.