A Skilled Workforce How British Columbia has continued its momentum as a leader in skilled trades and workplace safety. A sponsored feature by Mediaplanet SEPTEMBER 2015 UNIONIZEDLABOUR.CA Strong Partnerships Strong Partnerships NLC is committed to the delivery of the highest standard of Trades and Apprenticeships training NLC is committed to the delivery of the highest standard of Trades and Apprenticeships training Visit nlc.bc.ca and start building your future! 1-866-463-6652 nlc.bc.ca Visit nlc.bc.ca and start building your future! 1-866-463-6652 nlc.bc.ca Strong Foundation Strong Foundation 334/15.09.29-j 334/15.09.29-j LNG PROJECTS Providing B.C. with energy for the future. p04 APPRENTICESHIPS The foundation of a successful career in the trades. p03 BUILT ON SAFETY Why education is key to accident prevention. p07 Building B.C.
Transcript
A Skilled WorkforceHow British Columbia has continued its momentum as a leader in skilled trades and workplace safety.
A sponsored feature by Mediaplanet
SEPTEMBER 2015 UNIONIZEDLABOUR.CA
Strong PartnershipsStrong Partnerships
NLC is committed to the delivery of the highest
standard of Trades and Apprenticeships training
NLC is committed to the delivery of the highest
standard of Trades and Apprenticeships training
Visit nlc.bc.ca and start building your future!
1-866-463-6652
nlc.bc.caVisit nlc.bc.ca and start building your future!
1-866-463-6652
nlc.bc.caStrong Foundation
Strong Foundation334/15.09.29-j334/15.09.29-j
LNG PROJECTS Providing B.C. with energy for the future. p04
APPRENTICESHIPS The foundation of a successful career in the trades. p03
BUILT ON SAFETY Why education is key to accident prevention. p07
Workplace Mental Health Canadian firefighter opens up the conversation on workplace wellness and safety. p08
Infrastructure Investing in jobs for Canadians. p06
reer. Later in life, tradespeople often become mentors, managers, super-visors, trades instructors and entre-preneurs. Today’s youth tell the Ca-nadian Apprenticeship Forum they are open to a career in the skilled tra-des. They value hands-on work and the contribution tradespeople make to the economy. Parents tell us they want to find ways to support their children’s ambitions, seeking gui-dance about the right high school courses to take and the job opportu-nities available to apprentices.
Develop a skill set One concern parents raise is the per-ception that tradespeople can’t rely on steady work. The reality is that journey persons are always working themsel-ves out of a job, using their expertise to complete the tasks required to build,
Sarah Watts-RynardExecutive Director,Canadian Apprenticeship Forum
BC Safety Authority’s
2015 Lieutenant Governor Safety AwardsJoin us as we honour individuals and organizations that have made
an outstanding contribution to the safety of technical systems in BC.
Visit www.safetyauthority.ca/lgawards to find out more.
Order your tickets today!Monday, November 23, 2015
Keynote Speaker: David Eaves
Publisher: Ryan Shepherd Business Developer: Ian Solnick Account Manager: David Lilleyman Managing Director: Martin Kocandrle Production Manager: Sonja Draskovic Lead Designer: Matthew Senra Designer: Tea Pajkic Contributors: Ken Donohue, Sandra MacGregor, Duff McCourt, Sarag-Watts Rynard, Benjamin Chacon Cover Photo: BCCA Photo credits: All images are from Getty Images unless otherwise
accredited. Send all inquiries to [email protected] This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve The Province or its Editorial Departments.
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“The difference is that very few apprentices finish their training with student debt and all of them have practical experience to serve as a foundation for their career.”
operate, maintain and repair. But, it’s important to remember that trade skills don’t lose their value when the job is finished. In fact, these skills are transferable to other worksites, com-panies, sectors and regions. Whether across the street or around the world, hands-on skills are always in demand.
Since apprenticeship largely relies on available jobs, youth should be fo-cusing on areas of immediate de-mand, understanding that the natu-re of the work will open up diverse opportunities in the course of their careers. Knock on the doors of a few employers. Visit a local college or training centre. Ask tradespeople about their careers — how they got started, where they are now and what it takes to get there too. Once you choose the trade that’s right for you, the opportunities are endless.
Opportunity Awaits
Apprenticeships unlock a lifelong career in the trades.
Across Canada, young people are hearing a call to put down the university syllabus and pick up a trade. As
employers across the country speak to the difficulty of finding skilled tradespeople, opportunities for ent-husiastic youth who want to make a career in the construction, manu-facturing, motive power or service sectors are on the rise. For those who want an engaging, hands-on career, this is an excellent path to pursue.
It all starts with an apprenti-ceship, where young people
learn hands-on and workpla-ce-specific skills on-the-job. Roughly 80 percent of their time is spent working with a certified journey person who mentors and teaches them the skills of the trade.
This is no unpaid internship — apprentices are paid an increa-
sing percentage of a journey person’s wage as they progress. They return to school for eight to 12 weeks each year, learning the theory and practi-
sing new skills at a college or union training centre.
Not your typical degree Like many university degrees,
most apprenticeships last four years. The difference is that very few apprentices finish their training with student debt and all of them have practical experience to ser-ve as a foundation for their ca-
Dirty Jobs Mike Rowe says the skilled trades are endangered.Online Exclusive
Photo: UA Canada
INSIGHT
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The BC Government recently announced welcoming news for young people want-ing to get into the trades. Contractors
and subcontractors working on public infrastructure projects over $15 mil-lion are now required to demonstrate that they are engaged in apprentice-ship training and use apprentices on the worksite. There had been calls from labour groups for a quota system that would see a quarter of all work-ers on a site needing to be apprentices, but this compromise has gained the support of the construction industry.
We support the initiative as it is a means to drive more employers to hi-re apprentices, but we didn’t support a quota system,” says Manley McLach-lan, President of the BC Construc-tion Association. “It’s a reasonable ap-proach. If we are investing public mo-ney in a project, then builders should be involved in the apprentice system.”
Philip Hochstein, President of the Independent Contractors and Busi-ness Association, believes that a more effective way to increase the number of trainees is not with more govern-ment policy, but more economic de-velopment in the province. “The more work we have, the more there will be
Government Support For Apprentices Is Good For Business
By Ken Donohue
jobs and training positions,” he says. “Apprentices get on the job training, so if there are no jobs, there are no train-ing opportunities.”
According to McLachlan, statistics from across the country show that just 30 percent of companies were hi-ring 80 percent of the apprentices. Gi-ven this imbalance, it’s hoped that go-vernment policy will encourage more companies to support the apprentice-ship program.
This is the sentiment that Gary Herman, CEO of the Industry Train-ing Authority is hearing from indu-stry colleagues. “This is a great initia-tive, and we aren’t hearing any grum-bling,” he says. In fact, businesses that have been investing in and training apprentices are applauding this move, because it levels the playing field and encourages other companies to take on apprentices.”
The issue of have enough skilled workers is expected to become even more acute over the next decade with more job openings, through increased economic development and retire-ments. Business has a responsibility to train people, and they need to capture the skills of experienced workers befo-re they retire,” says Herman.
Photo: UA Canada
Secure your future workforce. Find an apprentice now. workbc.ca/trades
TO SUCCESS.
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Fueling The Provincial Economy
Thousands of me-ters below the earth’s surface, in the north-eastern section of British Col-umbia lies one
of the world’s biggest shale plays, containing an estimated 449 tril-lion cubic feet of natural gas.
Efforts to tap into this tremen-dous resource have, so far, been pla-gued by regulatory delays and cost uncertainties. However, with recent approval from B.C.’s legislature, new life has been breathed into the en-deavor. We are significantly closer to seeing the construction of major liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects become a reality within the next five years. The significance? British Columbia could very well be on the cusp of an economic boom.
Economic growthThe size of this boom can only be es-timated at the moment, however data indicates that a scenario with five LNG facilities constructed in B.C.
between 2015 and 2024 could create a total industry investment of $175 bil-lion for the province.
“This is a once in a lifetime opp-ortunity for British Columbia,” says Joe Shayler, Business Manager for the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, Local 170, B.C. “We can offer apprenticeships and the applicable in-school technical train-ing to our youth in British Columbia to work on these construction pro-jects, the end result being a resource of qualified journeypersons to repla-ce our aging workforce as they reti-re. It is our vision that these projects will benefit First Nations, local com-munities in northern B.C., B.C. resi-dents, the B.C. economy and Canada as a whole.”
Long-term employmentAccording to the provincial gov-ernment, development of the LNG
industry could generate as many as 100,000 jobs in B.C.—both dur-ing the construction and operation phase of an estimated five LNG fa-cilities. Once completed, there will be full-time operational staff re-quired to maintain and operate these LNG facilities, fueling em-ployment growth in the public and private sectors within the northern communities of B.C. and through-out the province.
“For those people who live in the communities where these LNG pro-jects have been built, and who ha-ve earned trade qualifications in their chosen trade during the con-struction of these LNG facilities, there will be opportunities to app-ly for full-time jobs in the facilities and be employed for years to come,” states Shayler. “This investment is not just a job for today but a career for the future. We have an opportu-
nity to rejuvenate the north. These job opportunities will revitalize our northern communities and help keep families together.”
“Local 170 is 100 percent commit-ted to ensuring any job opportunity in B.C. including: LNG projects, in-dustrial, commercial/institutional and pipeline projects, that appren-ticeship and job opportunities go first to British Columbians (inclusive of First Nations), followed by Canadians from other provinces in Canada, then qualified US tradespersons (classi-fied as temporary foreign workers), followed by qualified offshore inter-national workers (classified as off-shore international temporary for-eign workers),” says Shayler.
Apprenticeship and skills trainingGiven the projected requirements to build and maintain these projects, at-
tracting Red Seal trade qualified work-ers and a skilled labour pool, remains an essential component to bringing LNG to market in B.C. In addition, ap-prenticeship and skills training will be required by British Columbians to en-sure access to this work.
“In trades that require the com-pletion of an apprenticeship, the on-the-job training needs to be do-ne under the tutelage of a journey-person for that trade. The in-school technical training for each year of the apprenticeship must be comple-ted in order to graduate to journey-person status.
Shayler adds, “when you’re buil-ding LNGs, it’s important that they’re built by Red Seal journey-persons and indentured apprenti-ces registered with the B.C. Indu-stry Training Authority. This ensu-res that these facilities are built according to the trades applicable codes which in turn ensures the sa-fety of the project and the surroun-ding communities.”
By Benjamin Chacon
Photo: UA Local 170
“This investment is not just a job for today but a career for the future. We have an opportunity
to rejuvenate the north. These job opportunities will revitalize our northern communities and
help keep families together.”
Photo: UA Local 170
We do it right the � rst timeUA Canada is the collective voice for Canada’s piping trades professionals. We are one of many organized labour groups building Canada’s future.
We are damn proud of what we’ve accomplished for our members, and for our country.
Organized labour has raised workplace standards to a higher level for all working Canadians. We are committed to improving workplace conditions and safety practices on jobsites across this country. We are committed to getting more young people to work and we are committed to making sure hard-working, talented men and women who are building our country’s future are compensated for their expertise.
Our skilled workers are laying the cornerstone for the future of our country. One of these cornerstones is democracy — something we often take for granted, like the right to vote. There is an upcoming federal election, and we encourage every Canadian to exercise his or her democratic right.
Get out and vote. Canada is counting on you.
Canadian Head Of� ce: 442 Gilmour Street – Ottawa, Ontario K2P 0R8Phone (613) 565-1100 | Fax (613) 565-1200
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Photo: UA Canada
It’s no secret to those waiting for buses and subways, or those id-ling on crowded roads and bridges that across the country we need to spend more on public
infrastructure. It’s estimated our infrastructure deficit is anywhere between $120 and $170 billion. “We haven’t been investing in new pu-blic transit or repaving our roads, or investing in rail corridors,” says Rick Smith, Executive Director of the Broadbent Institute, a national, non-partisan organization that ge-nerates ideas and solutions for Ca-nada to become more productive and prosperous. “This impacts the quality of life of all Canadians and needs to be addressed.”
The Institute is calling for a five-year $50-billion public infrastructu-re spending initiative, to be shared by the provincial and federal govern-ments, after commissioning a report that concludes this spending would generate a large return on invest-ment, trigger significant private sec-tor investment, boost productivity, stimulate jobs, and increase wages. The report was authored by the Cen-tre for Spatial Economics. “We are in this state, because it was easy to ig-nore, but by the time the cost of ig-noring our infrastructure is tallied it
will cost even more, because the cost of repairing it continues to rise,” says Smith. “It’s like the homeowner that ignores the small leak in the roof, and then the whole thing falls in.”
Calls for a national investment strategy Smith would like to see a national-ly coordinated strategy, and is bu-
oyed by the interest coming from provincial and municipal govern-ments across the country, who are focused on the next generation of infrastructure. “I am optimistic this issue is getting the traction it needs, but the federal govern-ment needs to be a catalyst for a lot of these discussions,” he says. “The impacts on increased employ-
ment are inarguable. It will shave the unemployment rate, and half of the jobs created will be in con-struction.” That’s good news for people like John Telford, the UA’s Director of Canadian Affairs, one of the country’s largest trade uni-ons. “Investing in infrastructure creates good paying jobs,” he says. “We need governments to do mo- By Ken Donohue
Calls For More Spending On Infrastructure Will Create Jobs And Make Canada More Productive
“We need governments to do more. We’ve been sold a story that low taxes is a good thing, but lower taxes means we can’t afford to pay for infrastructure and public services.”
re. We’ve been sold a story that low taxes is a good thing, but lower tax-es means we can’t afford to pay for infrastructure and public services.”
Infrastructure investment means more jobs According to Telford, investing in infrastructure also means young people have an opportunity to get their foot in the door to rewarding career opportunities in the trades. “The demographics in the trades are definitely older, so there will be a lot of retirements in the co-ming years,” he says. “But we need to be training more appren-tices, so we’re prepared and don’t end up with a huge shortage of skilled workers.”
Whether it’s a national energy strategy or building safe and envi-ronmentally- sound pipelines, so we don’t have to rely on foreign oil to fill our refineries, or improved public transportation in our lar-gest cities, the federal election campaign is providing a platform for Canadians to have conversa-tions about the need for govern-ment to further invest in our pu-blic infrastructure.
NEWS
MEDIAPLANET 7
B.C.’s construction industry is strong, and has made con-siderable advances over the past 10 years in improving its safety practices. But work-ers are still getting hurt. One source of injury in particular is falls from elevation.
In fact, fall-related injuries cur-rently account for about 35 per-cent of WorkSafeBC claim costs in construction. What’s more, when a worker falls on a construction site, it usually results in a serious, life-altering type of injury.
The effort to reduce these dev-astating injuries is a collective one. As we strive towards a world where even one severe workplace injury is too many, the key is to recognize that worksite safety is everyone’s responsibility.
“Everyone plays a role when it comes to safety in the workplace,” says Don Schouten, Manager of Construction Industry and Labour Services at WorkSafeBC. “The em-ployer’s role is to make sure the site is safe by providing workers with the proper training, tools, and equipment to do their jobs safely. Workers, similarly, have a respons-ibility to ensure they follow the proper procedures, utilize all re-quired safety equipment, and most importantly, speak out when they don’t understand something or see something that’s unsafe.”
It’s important to remember that jobsites are never intentionally un-safe and that everyone has an inter-est in making them safer. “No one wants to see someone injured on the job,” says Schouten. “No one wants to have to make that phone call.” By D.F. McCourt
We’re working with British Columbia’s construction industry to ensure current and future workers stay safe. Find helpful industry resources at worksafebc.com/safetyatwork.
“My career in construction is built on safety.”
“The employer’s role is to make sure the site is safe by providing workers with the proper training, tools, and equipment to do their jobs safely.”
Employers and workers can make a huge difference to safety, he says, when they recognize the real cost of dangerous work practi-ces. Every time a worker or super-visor walks past a missing guard-rail or damaged harness without saying something, they’ve missed a chance to prevent a possible fall and potentially life-changing in-jury. When everyone involved looks at these issues in terms of the in-juries they might prevent by fix-ing or reporting them, everyone becomes safer. It’s not just about meeting regulations, it’s about cre-ating a safety culture, so that every-one feels safe on the job and can go home to the rest of their lives at the end of the day.
Building A Safer Workplace: Everyone
Plays A Role
Photo: UA Canada
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mental health issues and reach out for help. “Mental health is a very im-portant subject. After a traumatic call, the culture used to be to suck it up and move on,” explains Steve Farina, Health and Safety Rep and member of the Coquitlam Fire Figh-ters. “But we realize now that if you have a lack of support and resour-ces, seeing so many traumas can boil over into PTSD and even extre-me measures like suicide.”
Seeking helpWhile there are some resources in place for firefighters to turn to, one of the biggest hurdles is get-ting members to feel comforta-
Protecting Those That Protect Us
It’s a cruel irony that those most likely to help others can find it difficult to help them-selves. Involvement in a traumatic event is a regular part of the job
for most Canadian first respond-ers, yet many find it a struggle to talk about the effects such stressful situations can have on their emo-tions. Sadly, this inability to seek help can lead to depression, PTSD and in the worst case, suicide.
The British Columbia Professio-nal Fire Fighters Association is one organisation looking to make it ea-sier for their members to talk about
“We have to create a new normal where it’s okay to talk about mental and behavioral health.”
ble asking for help. There is often a stigma associated with expres-sing emotions, especially in a cul-ture as historically macho as fire-fighting. “We need to eliminate the stigma….it takes real courage to ask for help,” notes Farina.
“We have to create a new normal where it’s okay to talk about mental and behavioral health,” says Surrey Fire Fighters Association President Mike McNamara. “People have to feel comfortable saying they have an emotional injury. Because emo-tional injuries are no different than a leg or head injury. Feelings are a part of our body — just a very com-plicated part.”
Education and awarenessThis issue has particular signifi-cance to McNamara who lost two friends and fellow firefighters to suicide recently. Both he and Farina emphasize the importance educa-tion and awareness play in pre-venting such tragedies. “I’m a cap-tain now and responsible for my crew’s physical and mental well-be-ing. I need to recognize signs and symptoms and be able to do mental first aid with my crew when need-ed. We all need this training,” says Farina. “We need people to feel like going to a counsellor is like going to a dentist,” adds McNamara. “It needs to feel normal.”
It is important to understand that work-related stress is common in any work environment, and getting the conversation started about mental health issues is important.
