Executive Council
Health and Community Services
May 4, 2012
Regional Apprenticeship Forum Working to Advance Apprentices
Industry stakeholders from across Newfoundland and Labrador are gathered today at three locations to help guide the direction of the apprenticeship system in the province.
Using leading-edge interactive technology, today’s Regional Apprenticeship Forum is taking place at three sites across the province. The Honourable Joan Burke, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills, opened the forum from Stephenville and provided further details on the $4.1 million investment to advance apprentices in Budget 2012: People and Prosperity. Minister Burke was joined by the Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minster of Health and Community Services in Grand Falls-Windsor, and in Labrador City by the Honourable Nick McGrath, Minister Responsible for Labrador Affairs.
“This Regional Apprenticeship Forum is a true example of partnership and cooperation in action, as employers, union representatives, apprentices, journeypersons, and students, graduates and staff from training institutions come together for a collaborative discussion of the apprenticeship system in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Minister Burke. “The information gathered through these discussions will help highlight issues and provide future direction for skilled trades in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
The forum enables key industry representatives to communicate with one another from locations across the province to gain and share perspectives and opinions. The first apprenticeship forum, which was held last March in St. John’s, saw participation from over 300 people and resulted in detailed discussions on apprenticeship training in Newfoundland and Labrador.
With a rapidly changing economy and the expectation of 70,000 job openings in the next 10 years, this province faces unique challenges that require cooperation in order to produce a highly-trained workforce for the future. Budget 2012 supports initiatives that will advance apprenticeship opportunities and will support women and other under-represented groups in skilled trades in this province. The initiatives are:
- Introduction of a Journeyperson Mentorship Program to help increase the number of certified journeypersons available to provide required workplace training for apprentices. This program will provide a wage subsidy for journeypersons dedicated to mentoring apprentices through technical knowledge, trade skills and workplace training. It is expected that approximately 140 apprentices will benefit annually;
- Expansion of the Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy Program to help increase work experience for apprentices by providing a financial incentive to employers. The subsidy will help offset salary costs of hiring underemployed and unemployed apprentices and will result in work experience for an additional 65 apprentices annually. A priority focus will be given to women in non-traditional skilled trades, unemployed pre-apprentices and first-year apprentices. In 2011-12 this program, in partnership with the Office to Advance Women Apprentices, funded 344 apprentices, including 63 females; and,
- The registration of pre-apprentices in an Apprentice Tracking System to assist students completing entry-level skilled trades programs to secure employment and progress to journeyperson status. This will ensure their complete tracking and support from pre-apprentice to journeyperson. The system will allow for early contact with prospective apprentices to assist them to find employment and provide data regarding the proportion of pre-apprentices by trade, region and post-secondary institution attended.
“There is a continued demand for improvement and new approaches to labour market challenges in our province, and with the labour shortage forecasted, the Regional Apprenticeship Forum is helping us to address these challenges, including here in Central Newfoundland,” said Minister Sullivan. “In this time of unprecedented development we will continue our efforts to ensure today’s opportunities are used to grow tomorrow’s prosperity for all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.”
To complement efforts to support apprentices, the Provincial Government is also implementing a 10-Year Child Care Strategy that will help to strengthen labour market participation by providing parents with the opportunity to pursue education or employment. Budget 2012 is also providing $200,000 to establish the Workforce Development Secretariat, to help better ensure polices and programs are strategically aligned to develop and deploy a highly trained and skilled workforce that can meet evolving labour demands in our province.
“Labrador is experiencing immense economic growth and expanded infrastructure through a rapidly growing mining sector and expected development of Muskrat Falls,” said Minister McGrath. “Through Budget 2012 advancements to the apprenticeship system and interactive events such as today’s forum in Labrador West, the Provincial Government is helping to ensure labour demands are met so economies can thrive.”
In addition, to support training and programs such as the Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy and the Office to Advance Women Apprentices, a further $10.8 million in federal funding is administered by the Provincial Government through the Labour Market Development Agreement and Labour Market Agreement. As well, since the release of the Skills Task Force Report in 2007, approximately $95 million has been allocated in the areas of apprenticeship, science and technology, programming, training and infrastructure.
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Media contacts:
| John Tompkins Director of Communications Department of Advanced Education and Skills 709-729-0753, 728-7762 jtompkins@gov.nl.ca |
Carol Ann Carter Director of Communications Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs Labrador Affairs 709-729-1674, 631-9505 carolanncarter@gov.nl.ca |
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Jennifer Tulk Director of Communications Department of Health and Community Services 709-729-1377, 699-6524 jennifertulk@gov.nl.ca |
2012 05 04 9:25 a.m.