'These are groups of people that want fruitful, lucrative careers'
One group has been fueling the growth of skilled trades in Canada, and their recent milestone is a testament to how much employers value apprentices in the field.
In September, the British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) announced that it has issued $10M in financial incentives to small and medium-sized construction industry employers through its Apprenticeship Services project.
That figure is significant “because it shows just how many apprentices have been hired and sponsored by small and medium-sized employers here in B.C.,” said Faith Dempster, director for workforce development, BCCA, in talking with HRD Canada.
“There's lots of smaller companies out there and we're just delighted to hear that so many of them have taken us up on this incentive program, and that they are giving first-year apprentices a chance to start their careers.”
Employers have plenty of resources to hire skilled trades workers, one expert previously told COS.
Since launching in September 2022, the Apprenticeship Services project has issued financial incentives to employers for the hiring and registering of 1,329 apprentices and sent payments to more than 700 qualified employers, according to BCCA.
Under the BCCA Apprenticeship Services, employers with less than 500 employees can receive payments for:
- hiring a new employee & registering them as a first-year apprentice
- registering an existing employee as a first-year apprentice
- switching an existing apprentice or journeyperson into a different Red Seal trade as a first-year apprentice
Those hiring first-year apprentices will receive $5,000. The program provides an additional $5,000 for those hiring or registering any first-year apprentice who self-reports as:
- a woman
- a new Canadian
- LGBTQ2+
- Indigenous
- a person with a disability
- a visible minority
“When we're experiencing a skills shortage, it doesn't really make sense to not focus on groups that are underrepresented in the trades,” said Dempster.
“These are groups of people that want fruitful, lucrative careers. And they can be productive members on a team. So if we're worrying about where our next workers are going to come from, or where our next skilled workers can come from, it just makes sense to reach out to a larger group of people and make sure that we're offering those opportunities to everyone, not just your sort of typical worker.”
Breaking down the ‘macho culture’
Having women enter the construction industry can be a game changer, said Dempster, pulling from her own experience.
“I come from a background in the trades. I used to be a welder, a fabricator. And I worked with some really great companies that really did value diversity on their teams.
“And I heard from lots of male colleagues that it was actually nicer for them to have a woman on the team because it broke down that macho culture that can often happen when you just have a bunch of guys on a crew. So I thought that was interesting to hear, that it actually lessens that pressure that some guys feel on the on the job site. But as well, it's representative of our society. We need to make sure that everyone has access to these careers.”
Starting with students entering Grade 9 in September 2024, all Ontario students will be required to earn a Grade 9 or 10 Technological Education credit as part of their Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
Enticing youngsters into the trades
Trades seem to be an unpopular career choice for Canadians. In fact, while 96 per cent of Canadians agree that the country's workforce needs more skilled trades workers, 76 per cent say they would never pursue a skilled trade for themselves, found a previous 3M Canada study.
But there’s so much to like about the trades, said Dempster.
“This could be a good opportunity for someone that just wants to start working and start earning right away,” she said. “Apprenticeship is about 85% on-the-job work, meaning you're getting paid while you do it. So that can be a lot easier than creating a lot of student debt by doing another kind of diploma or degree program.”
And there’s plenty of opportunities to climb the ladders, she said.
“You can go through an apprenticeship, get your journeyperson certification and then you can start your own business. Or you can go into project management. There are a million different opportunities that present themselves when you get into the trades.
“And I'm proof of that. When I started working with the BC Construction Association, I got to work with one of our programs and help other people get into the trades. And then I've kind of moved up into my role now, which I love doing because I can help other people,” said the director for workforce development of BCCA.
There’s $4 million more still available to applicants under the Apprenticeship Services.
