B.C. public project contractors to sponsor apprentices

The government of British Columbia’s (B.C.) new Apprentices on Public Projects policy will connect young people to the skills and training they need for careers in construction.

Investment in infrastructure

Announced by Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, the new policy will leverage the government’s annual investment in infrastructure, by requiring contractors working on major public construction projects to sponsor apprentices.

Those projects with a CAN$15 million plus government investment will be required to sponsor apprentices through the entire project cycle and report on their on-project use, prior to receiving their final payment.

LNG projects

The policy aims to ensure that British Columbians are trained the fill the approximate 1 million job openings expected between now and 2022, many of which will be in the Province’s booming LNG industry. The policy will also help meet the labour workforce requirements of private sector projects, which is one of the key goal’s outlined in the recent agreement between B.C. and Pacific NorthWest LNG.

Moreover, the policy will help deliver on B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint launched in 2014 to re-engineer education and training. Much of the driving force to increase opportunities for apprenticeship sponsorship comes from recommendations made in two reports: the McDonald ITA Report and the Premier’s Liquefied Natural Gas Working Group. The latter report aims to a goal of having 25% of overall workforce on LNG-related construction projects to be apprenticeable trades.

Comments

Commenting on the new policy, Bond said: “This policy is going to help us deliver apprenticeship opportunities and connect young people with the skills they need to find their fit in B.C.’s diverse, strong and growing economy. Government is leveraging its major construction investments to help meet our goal of aligning skills training with in-demand careers. Taking these steps today is one step in building the workforce of tomorrow with British Columbians at the front of the line.”

Adapted from press release by Katie Woodward

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/29052015/apprentice-sponsorship-in-british-columbia-845/