Advanced Education and Skills
March 26, 2015

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills:

Minister Congratulates Apprentices and Trade Qualifiers on the Achievement of Journeyperson Status

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate 756 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians from around our province who achieved journeyperson certification this year. The certificates received by these individuals symbolize a significant milestone, and are a testament to the hard work and dedicated effort that they have put into their trade programs.

Tonight, I will have the great pleasure of addressing a journeyperson awards and recognition ceremony being held here in St. John’s. This ceremony was organized by the Provincial Government in partnership with industry, and it is just one in a series of ceremonies that have been held in communities throughout the province this month to acknowledge local apprentices and trade qualifiers who have achieved journeyperson certification.

Mr. Speaker, ceremonies have taken place in Wabush, Corner Brook, and Grand Falls-Windsor. I look forward to joining industry employers, members of the Provincial Apprenticeship and Certification Board, and past and current graduates and their families tonight to mark an important step as they continue their careers and contribute to the labour force of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Increasing the availability of skilled trade workers has been a top priority for our government since the release of the Skills Task Force report in 2007. Since that time, we have committed over $100 million to support initiatives outlined in the report. We have invested heavily in programs that assist apprentices to advance to journeyperson status, and we will continue to invest in the most innovative of programming to ensure opportunities are available for the people of this province.

Apprentices are a fundamental component of the economic future in Newfoundland and Labrador, and we are currently training and advancing more apprentices to become journeypersons than ever before. Since 2007, investments by this government have helped to more than double the number of journeypersons certified annually. 2014 was a record-breaking year with 756 journeypersons becoming certified.

The province’s resource industries hold the promise of long-term employment opportunities for many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, including opportunities in the skills trade sector. Congratulations once again to those individuals who have achieved journeyperson certification this year and are pursuing a career in the skilled trades.

Thank you.

2015 03 26                              1:55 p.m.