The British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) recently announced that it issued a total of $10 million in financial incentives to small and medium-sized construction industry employers through its Apprenticeship Services project, with an additional $4 million still available to applicants.
This project, which is funded by the Government of Canada’s Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy’s Apprenticeship Service initiative, provides employer participants with cash incentives to both hire and register first-year apprentices in up to 39 Red Seal trades.
Since its launch in September 2022, the project has issued financial incentives to employers for the hiring and registration of 1,329 apprentices as well as sent payments to over 700 qualified employers.
Additonally, the project pays employers $5,000 for each first-year apprentice they register in any of up to 39 construction Red Seal trades.
One of the goals of this project is to continue improving diversity within BC’s construction industry. As a result, if the apprentice self-identifies as part of an equity deserving group, an additional $5,000 is issued as part of an effort to redress underrepresentation in the trades.
Employers can register up to two first-year apprentices prior to March 31, 2024, in order to earn up to $20,000 in cash incentives.
To date, 51 per cent of project apprentices have declared themselves to be a member of an equity deserving group.
“Canada needs more skilled trades workers. We need more women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous people, racialized Canadians and individuals from the 2SLGBTQI+ community to join the skilled trades. That’s why the Government of Canada’s support for employers to hire first-year apprentices is so critical. It’s helping more and more Canadians seize these exciting careers in the trades, and it’s making sure businesses have the skilled workers they need to thrive as we build an economy that works for everyone,” said Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Lanugages.
“The Apprenticeship Services project has become one of the most successful workforce development programs the BCCA has ever launched,” said Chris Atchison, BCCA president. “The timing of this initiative couldn’t be better. Our industry is hungry for skilled workers. We’re doing our part by providing outreach and support to employers and inspiring job seekers to pursue rewarding careers in the construction industry.”
The project has registered apprentices in 35 Red Seal trades and almost $6 million in funding has gone to BC employers who are registering first-year carpenters, construction electricians and plumbers.
To date, a total of 1,059 employers have signed the Builder’s Code pledge through the BCCA Apprenticeship Services project.
