15,000 people in Atlantic Canada to benefit from Government of Canada and Atlantic provinces’ apprenticeship harmonization efforts
October 13, 2017 St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador Employment and Social Development Canada
To grow our economy and strengthen the middle class, Atlantic Canadians must have access to the skills training they need to find and keep good, well-paying jobs in Atlantic Canada.
The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, and the Honourable Al Hawkins, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour for Newfoundland and Labrador announced today the harmonization of apprenticeship requirements for six new Red Seal trades. In total, 16 Red Seal trades will now be harmonized across Atlantic provinces, thanks to this new federal investment of $960,000. It is expected that 15,000 apprentices per year across Atlantic Canada will benefit as a result of this harmonization.
The Atlantic Apprenticeship Harmonization Project will help keep apprentices in Atlantic Canada, increase their apprenticeship completion rates, and help address skills shortages in Atlantic Provinces.
The new investment will help make training requirements, certification and standards more consistent in the following six trades: truck and transport mechanic, heavy duty equipment technician, automotive service technician, sprinkler system installer, construction boilermaker, and industrial mechanic (millwright).
The project also includes the development of a $13.8 million shared IT system supported by $4.86 million from the Federal Government, with the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba contributing the remainder. The shared IT system will provide online access to complete forms, process payments, log hours and complete a wide variety of other tasks that are currently paper-based and time-consuming.
The Atlantic Apprenticeship Harmonization Project will now harmonize a total of 16 trades across the Atlantic region, with the Government of Canada contributing over $7.6 million and the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba contributing over $10 million to the project.
“Helping apprentices complete their training and get jobs in Atlantic Canada is critical to growing our middle class and strengthening our economy. Harmonizing apprenticeship requirements will make it easier for Canadians to access the training they need to find and keep good, well-paying jobs.”
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour
“A shared IT system and the continuing implementation of the Atlantic Apprenticeship Harmonization Project will benefit apprentices, journeypersons, training institutions and employers throughout the province. This is a fantastic opportunity for Newfoundland and Labrador as we continue our efforts to grow and diversify the economy and create a climate that is conducive to private sector employment.”
– The Honourable Al Hawkins, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
“Apprentices and journeypersons contribute to economic development throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, including rural and remote areas. A shared apprenticeship management system will simplify administrative tasks and free them to focus on advancing in their careers.”
– David Harris, Chair, Provincial Apprenticeship and Certification Board
“The Atlantic Apprenticeship Harmonization Project supports economic growth and job creation in our region by making it easier for apprentices to train and work in their field within Atlantic Canada. The new Apprenticeship Management Solution represents a successful partnership with the federal government, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba to modernize our systems and improve services to apprentices and employers.”
– The Honourable Gilles LePage, Minister of Labour, Employment and Population Growth, Government of New Brunswick
“Prince Edward Island is committed to fostering and supporting a highly skilled PEI workforce. Harmonizing 10 trades and the commitment to work on harmonizing an additional six trades, along with the new shared IT system, will make it easier for PEI trades people, employers, and training providers to advance Red Seal certification.”
– The Honourable Sonny Gallant, Minister of Workforce and Advanced Learning, Government of Prince Edward Island
“It’s important that we make it easier for apprentices to get the training they need and that we make it easier for businesses to operate in the province. Adopting consistent training and modernizing our IT systems will further improve skilled trades in Nova Scotia.”
– The Honourable Labi Kousoulis, Minister of Labour and Advanced Education, Government of Nova Scotia
The Atlantic Apprenticeship Harmonization Project was designed to standardize the requirements for apprentices in trade occupations across Atlantic Canada.
The Government of Canada invests significantly in apprenticeship through grants, loans, tax credits, Employment Insurance benefits, project funding and the Red Seal program.
The Government of Canada is continually working with the provinces and territories to harmonize more apprenticeship training requirements in targeted Red Seal trades. Harmonization aims to improve the mobility of apprentices, support an increase in their completion rates, enable employers to access a larger pool of apprentices and increase consistency across apprenticeship systems.
The Government also recently launched the new Union Training and Innovation Program with $10 million in funding for 2017-2018 and $25 million annually.
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