Government of Canada funds project with International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115 to help apprentices in the Greater Vancouver Area

MAPLE RIDGE, BC, June 16, 2018 /CNW/ - Canada's changing economy and investments in infrastructure make skills training critical to our future. Union-based skills training is a key element to achieving the Government's commitment to get more people working in the skilled trades while also reducing barriers for apprentices to complete their training.

That's why today, the Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Vancouver South, on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, announced a project that will invest in training equipment and materials to help apprentices get the skills they need to succeed. This project is funded under the Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP).

The Government of Canada will provide over $575,000 over three years in the IUOE-TA Indigenous Training Partnerships Project, delivered by the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115 Training Association. The organization will purchase equipment that will help participants as they develop their skills to help them get jobs in the Mobile Crane Operator and Heavy Equipment Operator Red Seal trades.

As a result of this project, which is being funded under Stream 1 of the UTIP, apprentices will get the chance to use high-quality equipment to develop improved skills and progress through their training. This practical experience will help apprentices, including Indigenous people and women succeed as they enter the workforce in their Red Seal trade.

To further help key groups facing barriers in the trades, Budget 2018 announced three new initiatives:

• $46 million over five years, starting in 2018?19, with $10 million per year ongoing, for a new Pre-Apprenticeship Program;
• $19.9 million over five years, starting in 2018?19, to support an Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women, a five-year pilot project where women in male-dominated Red Seal trades would receive a new grant of $3,000 for each of their first two years of training. This, in combination with the existing Apprenticeship Completion Grant valued at $2,000, will result in a total of $8,000 in support over the course of their training; and
• $10 million over three years, starting in 2018?19, for the new Women in Construction Fund which will build on existing models that have proven to be effective in attracting women to the trades. These models provide supports such as mentoring, coaching and tailored supports that help women progress through their training and find and retain jobs in the trades.

As Canada's economy continues to grow and create good, well-paying jobs, the Government will ensure that all Canadians share in and benefit from this success.

Quotes

"Canada's future success depends on building an economy that is as inclusive as it is innovative. Our government is proud of this project that will help apprentices in Burnaby, and especially those who face additional barriers to participate and succeed in the skilled trades, start exciting and well-paying careers in the trades."
? The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour

"The Union Training and Innovation Program will help new generations of workers benefit from the mentorship and training that unions are so well-equipped to offer. Through this project in Burnaby, our government is building stronger communities and strengthening the middle class."
? The Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Vancouver South

"Through its financial support for the IUOE Training Association, the Government of Canada has shown that it recognizes the value of trades training. The new crane and excavator will provide our students with the best in hands-on experience. This equipment will ensure a training focus on safety and quality, and help us to build a skilled and inclusive workforce for the future."
? Brian Cochrane, Business Manager, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115 

Quick Facts

• The UTIP was launched in 2017?18 with initial funding of $10 million and $25 million annually.
  
  
• The Government of Canada also provides a range of supports to apprentices to help them complete their training and become certified. These include grants, loans and tax credits and Employment Insurance supports during technical training.
  
  
• Between January 2015 and May 2018, more than 58,000 Canada Apprentice Loans totaling over $224 million have been provided to apprentices.
  
  
• Since the introduction of the Apprenticeship Grants program, more than 774,000 grants have been issued to apprentices, representing over $993 million in funding. As of June 2018, more than 555,000 Apprentice Incentive Grants have been issued, representing over $555 million in funding, and more than 219,000 Apprentice Completion Grants have been issued, representing $438 million in funding to apprentices.

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Backgrounder

The Union Training and Innovation Program, which was announced in Budget 2016, targets the Red Seal trades and involves broad-based partnerships with a number of stakeholders. It is expected that the Program will:

• help improve the quality of training through investments in equipment;
• support innovative approaches and partnerships with other stakeholders; and
• reduce barriers to participation and success in the trades for key groups including women and Indigenous people.

The Program, which has two streams, is open to all unions, including those that do not provide training recognized by provinces and territories as technical apprenticeship training, and those that do not operate training facilities.

Stream 1 helps unions purchase new and up-to-date training equipment. Continuous technological change puts pressure on training providers to ensure workers are developing the right skills needed on the jobsite.

Stream 2 focuses on innovative approaches to help address challenges limiting apprenticeship outcomes, including barriers to participation and success in the trades for key groups such as women and Indigenous people. This stream is open to a range of stakeholders and partners, but unions need to be involved, either as the lead or as a partner on projects. 

The Government of Canada invests significantly in apprenticeship through grants, loans, tax credits, Employment Insurance benefits (during in-school training), project funding and support for the Red Seal program. The Government is also working with the provinces and territories to harmonize apprenticeship training requirements in targeted Red Seal trades.

SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada