An A ction pl An for lng tr Ade S tr Aining · 2020. 8. 26. · 2 AN ACTION PLAN FOR LNG TRADES...

AN ACTION PLAN FOR LNG TRADES TRAINING, AUGUST 2014 A

September 2014

An Action plAn forlng trAdeS trAining

table of contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2

PURPOSE 4

BACKGROUND 4

• Industry Training Authority 4

• The Emerging LNG Industry and Trades Requirements 4

ITA ACTION PLANNING INPUTS 7

• Northeast Regional Skills Training Plan 8

• Northwest Regional Skills Training Plan 9

• Northwest Transmission Line Human Resource Strategy 10

• BC Natural Gas Workforce Strategy & Action Plan 11

• The Premier’s LNG Working Group 13

• ITA Review: ITA and Trades Training in BC 14

• B.C.’s Skills For Jobs Blueprint 15

ITA ACTION PLAN FOR LNG TRADES TRAINING 17

• Action Planning Assumptions & Principles 18

• Confirmed Actions 19

• Proposed Actions 26

• Conclusion 31

APPENDICES 32

• Northeast Regional Skills Training Plan 33

• Northwest Regional Skills Training Plan 34

• Northwest Transmission Line Human Resource Strategy 36

• BC Natural Gas Workforce Strategy & Action Plan 37

• The Premier’s LNG Working Group Recommendations 39

• Summary of ITA Review Final Report Recommendations 40

• B.C.’s Skills For Jobs Blueprint 42

• Action Prioritization 44

• Stakeholder Consultations 46

AN ACTION PLAN FOR LNG TRADES TRAINING, AUGUST 20142

eXecUtiVe SUMMArY

This document presents the Industry Training Authority (ITA) Action Plan for liquefied natural gas (LNG) trades training that aligns with regional and sectoral demands. It is intended to address government’s annual direction to ITA, which is detailed in the 2014/2015 Government’s Letter of Expectations.

The Emerging LNG Industry and Trades Requirements

As of May 2014, there are a total of 11 LNG export facilities that have been proposed for BC, along with associated pipelines and further expansion of upstream capabilities. Many industry observers predict that up to five LNG projects will actually proceed, with an estimated aggregate value of $175 billion. A key area of potential risk is whether there will be a sufficient availability of an appropriately skilled and qualified workforce to execute capital projects of a scale that is unprecedented in BC’s history. A scenario of five LNG plants with construction occurring between 2015 and 2024 would create:

• A total industry investment of $175 billion

• 58,700 direct and indirect construction jobs

• 23,800 permanent, direct and indirect operations jobs

• A requirement for over 20,000 trades workers by 2018, with significant demand for:

• Construction Labourers

• Steamfitters and Pipefitters

• Welders

• Concrete Finishers

• Carpenters

• Heavy Equipment Operators

ITA Action Planning Inputs

There has been a significant amount of recent workforce analysis and planning undertaken to date in the province that can and, properly should inform, any ITA Action Plan for LNG-related trades training. Inputs into the ITA Action Plan for LNG Trades Training include:

• Northeast Regional Training Plan

• Northwest Regional Training Plan

• Northern Transmission Line HR Strategy

• BC Natural Gas Workforce Strategy

• The Premier’s LNG Working Group

• ITA Review

• B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint

Action Planning Assumptions & Principles

• The focus of the Action Plan is on those actions that can be realistically initiated and implemented during the period leading up to final investment decisions by the major LNG proponents.

• The Action Plan builds off the analyses and planning that have already taken place, which is summarized in the subsequent sections.

• Effort have been made to prioritize actions that constitute “quick wins.”

• The sector scope of the Action Plan is on the entire natural gas value chain.

• The geographic scope of the Action Plan covers the entire province of BC.

• While the focus of the Action Plan is on the LNG/natural gas sector, the majority of the actions can benefit all sectors in the economy.

• Funding to support the implementation of actions will come primarily from ITA, but efforts will be made to identify and leverage direct and indirect financial support from other stakeholders, including industry and other governments.

• The Action Plan has been reviewed during May to August 2014 and validated by key stakeholders, including industry, Aboriginal peoples and relevant government ministries, as an initial step in implementation.

• Initial prioritization of the actions has been developed based upon consultations. Detailed work plans will be developed for each action to guide implementation.

• Validation consultations took place during May to August 2014 with: ITA Aboriginal Advisory Council; BC Natural Gas Workforce Committee; BC LNG Alliance members as a group and individually; and other LNG industry stakeholders.

• Currently, there are 16 actions, with eight confirmed (including six in progress) and eight proposed actions. ITA will continue receiving input from industry on the confirmed actions, and will further explore input from stakeholders on the proposed actions while reviewing the availability of resources.

AN ACTION PLAN FOR LNG TRADES TRAINING, AUGUST 2014 3

Confirmed Actions

1. In conjunction with industry establish/designate an LNG/natural gas sector advisory group that will provide direct input to government and the ITA on matters relating to workforce development for the sector.

2. Fast-track the remaining development of ITA occupational standards for the Construction Craft Worker (Labourer) Program and implement the program on a province-wide basis in partnership with industry, labour and post-secondary institutions.

3. Develop a specialized Construction Craft Worker Foundation Program targeted at First Nations individuals that integrates essential skills and cross-cultural components.

4. Increasing youth participation over next two years with a focus on high-demand LNG-related trades.

5. Recruit, hire and deploy an additional 11 Apprenticeship Advisors, five of whom will be focused on the Aboriginal community to recruit and support Aboriginal apprentices.

6. Develop an ITA communications strategy focused on trades related employment and training opportunities in the LNG/natural gas sector.

7. Establish provincial/interprovincial occupational standards for a range of service jobs in the upstream sector by adopting the standards that have been developed by Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC), Enform, and Alberta Apprenticeship under the Petroleum Competency Program.

8. Conduct further research into an alternative sponsorship/group training model for smaller employers that provides enhanced supports and allows apprentices to complete their apprenticeships with a number of employers.

Proposed Actions

1. Participate in the Northwest School to Work initiative in partnership with school districts, post-secondary institutions, Aboriginal peoples, communities and industry.

2. Fund the delivery of a pilot project for on-site technical training for apprentices in partnership with industry and training providers.

3. Evaluate the front-end loaded training model for commercial transport and, determine if it should be expanded to LNG high-priority trades in conjunction with industry and training providers.

4. Invest in the construction of 1–2 mobile trades training units that can be deployed in the northwest region to provide access to introductory trades training in rural communities, with a particular focus on Aboriginal peoples and high school students unable to access trades training facilities.

5. Explore the development of an apprenticeship technical training e-learning strategy for high priority trades in collaboration with the other western provinces under the New West Partnership.

6. Pilot an advanced entry apprenticeship model that recruits apprentices who have dropped out of the system and uncertified individuals with relevant experience in the scope of the trades. Candidates are assessed, provided with appropriate advanced standing and placed with employers, with the goal of achieving certification in 18–24 months.

7. Develop a “Blue Seal” Endorsement program that focuses on upgrading Red Seal journeypersons with skills and knowledge in workplace supervision, mentoring, and construction project management.

8. In collaboration with the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, develop a strategy for leveraging the Canada-BC Job Grant to facilitate the hiring of apprentices by employers directly or indirectly involved in the LNG/natural gas sector.


BAcKgroUnd

Industry Training AuthorityThe Industry Training Authority (ITA) is a Crown agency of the BC government, established under the Industry Training Authority Act and accountable to the Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training. It is responsible for leading and coordinating the skilled trades training and credentialing system for the province. ITA provides strategic leadership, policy support and customer services to help apprentices, employers and industry. ITA sets program standards, maintains credential records, and issues the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program (Red Seal) credentials and the BC Certificate of Qualification (C of Q) credentials to individuals who have met predefined occupational standards.

The 2014/2015 Government’s Letter of Expectations gives the following mandate direction to ITA:

• Through innovation and collaboration, develop training that is relevant and responsive to industry, community and labour market needs.

• Expand access to training in all regions of the province for groups that are traditionally under-represented or face barriers to labour force participation.

• Attract more young people into trades training, particularly in northern BC, promoting the benefits and rewards of a trades career path, and assist in the transition from school to work.

• Demonstrate the link between effective skills training and improved productivity and global competitiveness.

• Create avenues for training delivery and certification processes that are efficient, effective and flexible.

• Expand opportunities for industry input into BC’s industry-led trades training system.

• Ensure labour mobility under the Agreement on Internal Trade; the Trade Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement; the New West Partnership Agreement; and any other trade agreements to which the government may become party, to ensure appropriate recognition of worker skills developed elsewhere, and to support multi-lateral and bilateral labour mobility initiatives.

Given the priority that has been placed upon the development of a new LNG industry in the province and the attendant requirement for a sufficient supply of highly skilled trades workers to build and operate LNG-related infrastructure, the government has further directed ITA to develop an Action Plan for LNG-related trades training.

The Emerging LNG Industry and Trades RequirementsAs of May 2014, there are a total of 11 LNG export facilities that have been proposed for BC, along with associated pipelines and further expansion of upstream capabilities. The bulk of the proposed LNG facility construction is planned for the northwest region, centred on Kitimat and Prince Rupert. All projects are at various states of progression and it is anticipated that the final investment decisions will be forthcoming in late 2014 to mid-2015. Most industry analysts predict that up to five LNG projects will actually proceed, with an estimated aggregate value of $175 billion.

A key area of potential risk is whether there will be a sufficient availability of an appropriately skilled and qualified workforce to execute capital projects of a scale that is unprecedented in BC’s history. Industry proponents and the BC Government are acutely aware of significant cost overruns that are occurring in the seven LNG operations currently under construction in Australia. In order to qualify and quantify anticipated workforce demand associated with LNG development, the BC government has undertaken a scenario-based labour market demand analysis.

pUrpoSe

This document presents the Industry Training Authority (ITA) Action Plan for liquefied natural gas (LNG) trades training that aligns with regional and sectoral demands, with a specific focus on the northern regions of the province. It is intended to address government’s annual direction to ITA detailed in the 2014/2015 Government’s Letter of Expectations. It has been prepared to facilitate discussion and review of potential concrete actions by the BC Natural Gas Workforce Committee, ITA senior management and Board of Directors and, ultimately, the Province of BC.


The following charts, prepared by KPMG, reflect the aggregate construction employment forecast (by project stream) and the aggregate operations employment forecast (by project stream) for a scenario of five LNG plants:

In terms of specific occupations, the following chart reflects the top occupations by forecasted demand, particularly for the LNG construction phase. It is important to note that nine out of the 12 high-demand construction-related occupations fall within the ITA mandate and are those for which ITA establishes standards, funds training and provides formal qualifications.

The upstream component of the industry involves drilling and processing of gas for transport. It currently employs approximately 13,235 workers in the northeast region of the province. These existing workers can generally be broken down into three main clusters:

• 8,570 in oil and gas services

• 3,680 in exploration and production

• 985 in natural gas pipelines1

The following table reflects the top occupations in the upstream component at present. Under the scenario of five LNG plants, total upstream employment is forecast to increase by approximately 5,300 direct jobs, with the occupational distribution of the new jobs very similar to the current mix:

TOP 10 OCCUPATIONS EMPLOYED IN BC’S NATURAL GAS OPERATIONS (2012)2

1. Oil and gas field workers, labourers and operators

2. Supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services

3. Operators, including plant, process and pipeline

4. Truck drivers

5. Millwrights and machinists

6. Heavy equipment operators

7. Primary production managers/drilling coordinators

8. Welders

9. Steamfitters and pipefitters

10. Petroleum engineers

1, 2 Labour Demand Outlook for BC’s Natural Gas Industry, Petroleum HR Council (for BC Natural Gas Workforce Committee - 2013)

37%2%

19%

3%

3%

4%

4%

4%

5%7%

12%

Top Occupations by Demand (2018)Construction tradeshelpers and labourers

Steamfitters, pipefitters andsprinkler system installers

Welders and relatedmachine operators

ConcreteFinishers

Transporttruck drivers

Carpenters

Heavy equipment operators(except crane)

Gas fitters

Purchasing agentsand officers

Craneoperators

Other


DEMAND SUMMARY

A scenario of five LNG plants with construction occurring

between 2015 and 2024 would create:

• A total industry investment of $175 billion

• 58,700 direct and indirect construction jobs

• 23,800 permanent, direct and indirect operations jobs

• A requirement for over 20,000 trades workers by 2018, with significant demand for:

• Construction Labourers

• Steamfitters and Pipefitters

• Welders

• Concrete Finishers

• Carpenters

• Heavy Equipment Operators

Process Operators

Trades

Engineers

Administrationand other

Operations andMaintenanceManagement

5%

10%

25%

50%

10%

Finally, forecasts have also been developed for LNG plant operations. It is anticipated that each two-train plant will require a permanent operations workforce of between 150 and 300 workers. The following chart details the general occupational distribution for plan operations. Again, it is important to note that trades workers will make up approximately 25% of the required operations workforce3.

3 Labour Demand Outlook for BC’s Natural Gas Industry, Petroleum HR Council (for BC Natural Gas Workforce Committee - 2013)


itA Action plAnning inpUtS

There has been a significant amount of recent workforce analysis and planning undertaken to date in the province that can and, properly should inform, any ITA Action Plan for LNG-related trades training. Some of this is LNG specific, some falls more into the realm of broader provincial labour market policy, and the balance tends to focus on specific regional needs and requirements.

In the following section, summaries are provided for each of these with an attempt to distil those aspects that are relevant in the context of ITA’s mandate and, moreover, are potentially actionable.

Note: Full summaries of all actions and recommendations from each report are detailed in the Appendices (pages 32–46).

Northwest Regional

Training Plan

Northeast Regional

Training Plan

BC Natural Gas

Workforce Strategy

The Premier’s LNG

Working Group

ITA Review

Northern Transmission

Line HR Strategy

B.C.’s Skills For

Jobs Blueprint

Review and

Synthesis

ITA Action Plan

For Liquefied Natural Gas

Trades Training


Northeast Regional Skills Training PlanThe Northeast Regional Workforce Table was established under the BC Jobs Plan in 2011. The objective was to develop a plan for best aligning existing regional training to meet local employment opportunities and to ensure that British Columbians have access to training and job opportunities in their home communities. A task force was created to lead the development process, which included regional labour market analysis and a number of consultations with a broad range of stakeholders, including industry, labour, Aboriginal peoples, community organizations, government, and education and training providers.

The 2012 Skills Training Plan included an occupational outlook to 2020, including the delineation of high-demand occupations and associated training gaps. Key high-demand occupations and associated training gaps were identified for:

• Industrial Electricians

• Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers

• Oil and gas drilling workers and service operators

• Underground mine service and support workers

• Oil and gas drilling and services supervisors

Included among the many challenges and issues faced in the northeast region are:

• A lack of training capacity at Northern Lights College due to infrastructure issues

• Difficulties in recruiting and retaining trades instructors in areas related to high-demand occupations

• A reluctance on the part of employers to release apprentices for technical training

• Insufficient flexibility to reallocate funding between programs

• A requirement to develop more agile, sustainable training in a dynamic regional labour market

• A requirement for skills upgrading for low-skilled individuals lacking essential skills

SUMMARY & IMPLICATIONS

Due to a lack of financial resources, little progress has

been made in the northeast region in implementing

the training plan. However, the planning process was

comprehensive and the consultations with stakeholders

in the region extensive, and the plan’s goals and actions

remain valid. Consequently, those actions that are

aligned with the ITA mandate should be factored into

the LNG Action Plan. Specifically:

• Coordinate a comprehensive career pathway and

labour market information initiative for regional

students, workers and employers.

• Build on and expand innovative pilot projects that

target under-represented groups.

• Enhance/pilot programs that provide career

pathways for under-skilled workers in the region.

• Enhance/pilot programs for delivering instruction

for high-demand occupations.

• Pilot accelerated training delivery models for

regional high-demand occupations (accelerated

apprenticeship models, etc.).

• Work with employers to identify barriers to

participation in training programs, develop

solutions aimed at reducing those barriers,

and solicit their active engagement in training

initiatives.


Northwest Regional Skills Training PlanLike the Northeast Plan, the Northwest Regional Skills Training Table was established under the BC Jobs Plan in 2012 with a mandate to undertake analysis, engage in extensive consultations and produce a skills plan for the region. The process was led by a multi-stakeholder task force comprising industry, labour, Aboriginal peoples, and training providers. An important aspect of the initiative is the recognition that, after a prolonged period of economic stagnation, the region is about to undergo rapid industrial expansion.

The plan identifies 34 occupations that are forecasted to be in high demand between 2012 and 2020. By far, the majority of these are trades and trades-related occupations. The plan also identifies challenges and issues in the regional labour market, including the need for assistance for lower-skilled individuals, the need for Aboriginal-specific actions, and the need for much closer collaboration with organizations such as ITA. Five planning principles are also articulated to guide plan development and implementation:

• Incorporate a regional approach that respects community needs.

• Recognizing of the essential role of Aboriginal people in the northwest labour force.

• Building on existing activities and experience.

• Creating a flexible labour force with transferable knowledge and skills that can move from industry to industry within the region.

• Encouraging and supporting collaboration.

Challenges and issues faced by the northwest region include:

• A major need for basic/essential skills training for low-skilled individuals.

• A need for actions specifically targeted at the unique needs of Aboriginal peoples, who make up 40% of the region’s population.

• A need for improved collaboration and communication among industry, training providers and ITA.


As in the case of the northeast, little progress has been

made in the northwest region in implementing the

training plan. Also, as in the case of the northeast, those

actions in the Northwest Regional Training Plan that are

aligned with the ITA mandate should be factored into

the LNG Action Plan. Specifically:

• Establish a northwest version of the Northern

Opportunities dual credit initiative.

• Develop a Major Projects Labour Market

Information initiative to inform people, specifically

unemployed or underemployed individuals, about

the projects and jobs coming to the region.

• Build on existing regional literacy and numeracy

upgrading programs, and develop action plans to

increase literacy and numeracy in lower-skilled

people.

• Provide information about competency-based

approaches for assessing knowledge and training

skills for jobs and workers.

• Work with Aboriginal people in the region to

identify training and workforce development

opportunities.

• Develop and implement two-way cultural

awareness training in job skills training programs.

• Identify existing training programs or courses that

could be adapted to support training for high-

demand occupations.

• Work with existing groups to share best practices

on innovative training programs that successfully

meet industry needs.


Northwest Transmission Line Human Resource StrategyThe Northwest Transmission Line Labour Market Partnership was established in 2011 to develop a workforce strategy for the northwest region that would enable it to take advantage of the thousands of new jobs that will be created as a consequence of extending an affordable power supply to a vast area of the province. Industrial expansion will generate jobs in the construction of the transmission line itself, plus new jobs in new mines and independent power projects that will be enabled by the line. The Partnership was established with financial support from the BC government and the Steering Committee that was made up of 16 representatives representing the community, Aboriginal peoples, industry, associations, education and ex officio members from the provincial government. The process involved labour market research, four regional planning sessions and numerous individual consultations.

Analysis undertaken by the Partnership showed that:

• Between 2012 and 2016, the region could face shortages of up to 1,900 workers.

• Over two-thirds of the new jobs will be in well-paid skilled trades and related occupations, and they will be in demand for almost a decade.

• Training for many of these high-demand occupations is only available outside the northwest.

• Local people are available to fill many of the jobs, but a mismatch often exists between the skills of potential workers and the needs of employers.

• Immediate action is needed, since major projects are or will be underway.

• A pool of trained labour from the region is currently working elsewhere and could be recruited to help address workforce needs.

• Ongoing communication, a regional mindset and a focus on the needs of companies are needed to take advantage of a historic economic opportunity.

A set of principles was established to guide decisions, actions and investment, including:

• Work as a region to maximize the employment and business benefits from the major projects.

• Ensure companies employ workers from the region, wherever possible.

• Strengthen flexible, innovative pan-regional training organizations.

• Create a flexible labour force with transferable skills.

• Strengthen and encourage labour market partnerships and collaboration.

• Share responsibility and accountability.

• Realize that Aboriginal people are a cornerstone of a sustainable northwest BC labour force.


• Labour market analysis undertaken as part of the

strategy development indicates that approximately

63% of new jobs resulting from the construction

of the Northwest Transmission Line will be in the

Trades, Transport & Equipment Operator category.

• The second strategy of the Northwest

Transmission Line work has direct relevance

to the ITA mandate and its LNG Action Plan:

Develop an education, training and development

plan to ensure local people are workforce ready.

An important action within this broad strategy

is to: Improve access to regional training,

certifications and apprenticeship programs for

high-demand occupations.


BC Natural Gas Workforce Strategy & Action PlanThe BC Natural Gas Workforce Committee is an industry-initiated workforce planning initiative that was established in 2012 with financial support from the BC Government. The Committee, which has been expanded over time, now comprises representatives from the major LNG proponents, the natural gas industry, industry associations, the industrial construction industry, northern post-secondary training institutions, Aboriginal peoples, ITA and five provincial Ministries. The mandate of the Committee is to develop and implement a workforce strategy to ensure that the natural gas sector has the required workforce to enable its further growth and diversification. A particular focus is on the anticipated development of an LNG industry.

In order to enable the development of the strategy, the Committee commissioned both a labour market demand analysis and a supply-side environmental scan. These served as the basis for the strategy and action plan that was presented to and endorsed by members of cabinet in July 2013 and released by the Premier’s office in August 2013.

Key workforce opportunities identified in the strategy are:

• The ability to take action and secure/prepare workforce in advance.

• The opportunity to develop the next generation of skilled trades workers and operators – a source of future competitive advantage for BC.

• The opportunity to provide sustainable, well-paying jobs to Aboriginal peoples and regional populations, particularly in northwest BC.

• The opportunity to provide jobs for workers throughout the province via rotational work arrangements (e.g., Fly-in/fly-out).

Key workforce challenges identified in the strategy are:

• The northwest and northeast regions have a relatively small combined labour force of 86,500 (3.5% of the provincial total).

• The northeast region is currently at full employment, with persistent labour shortages.

• There is major competition from other sectors/regions/provinces for high-demand occupations.

The strategy also articulates a number of basic principles to guide the definition, development and implementation of natural gas workforce initiatives:

• Collaboration among “competitors” is essential to meet workforce development and challenges.

• Actions need to be based upon a realistic and current understanding of labour demand.

• A focus must be on providing sustainable opportunities for Aboriginal peoples and the local workforce to meet demand and maintain social licence.

• It is essential to take advantage of best practices and lessons learned.

• Investment in a natural gas workforce is a shared responsibility between industry, governments and individuals.

The following graphic depicts the major themes and elements that are incorporated into the BC Natural Gas Workforce Strategy:

Increase Local Talent Attract and Retain Talent from Other Locations

• Communicate Up-to-Date Labour Market and Career Information• Build on Existing Best Practices and Leverage Resources• Foster Stakeholder Collaboration and Co-Investment

Offertemporary work arrangementsfor short term work

Offer work arrangements that support workers to rotate into region for permanent work

Source and relocate workers from other regions to operatingregions

Addressbarriers to local labour force participationin industry’s employment opportunities

Develop skills and qualificationsto increaselocal pool of qualified talent

Increase capacity of local businesses to participate in industry-driven economicgrowth


The strategy framework is then used as the basis for delineating the following range of concrete actions, some of which are deemed as requiring immediate implementation and others that need to be addressed following LNG project final investment decisions.

Since the fall of 2013, the focus of the BC Natural Gas Workforce Committee has now shifted to the implementation of a number of key actions that are deemed to be of immediate importance.


The BC Natural Gas Workforce Strategy & Action

Plan provides a comprehensive, industry-developed

framework for addressing workforce needs for the

upstream, midstream and downstream (i.e., LNG)

components of the natural gas sector. A number of

actions in the strategy fall partially or fully within the

scope of the ITA mandate:

• Support the adoption/expansion of dual credit

programs across BC to enhance youth participation

in natural gas-related employment.

• Develop occupational standards and assessment

tools for labourer and helper roles.

• Develop and implement an enhanced

apprenticeship training model and strategy for

the natural gas sector construction projects and

ongoing operations.

• Compile existing competency-based skills

assessments and develop competency-based

tools that currently do not exist for high-demand

occupations.

• Provide “gap” training.


The Premier’s LNG Working GroupThe establishment of the Premier’s LNG Working Group was a result of a September 2013 meeting convened between the BC government and leaders of organized labour to outline the Province’s vision for a new LNG industry and to engage labour in a discussion regarding their role in making the vision achievable. The result was the establishment of the Working Group comprising representatives from industry, labour, Aboriginal people and the Province.

The key elements in the Committee Terms of Reference included:

• Propose strategies and solutions to fill gaps via new entrant skills training and upgrading skills of current members, as identified in the BC Natural Gas Workforce Strategy and Action Plan.

• Propose roles for private sector unions in recruiting members from southern BC to the north, to ensure British Columbians are first in line for these positions.

• Propose roles for private sector unions in accessing skilled workers from across Canada and the U.S.

• Development of a protocol for the use of temporary foreign workers in BC as a way to ensure economic development is not impeded by skills shortages but instead is conducted in a way to maximize British Columbian and Canadian access to jobs. The protocol would recognize that local workers, including those from First Nations communities, have priority access to jobs, followed by provincial, national and international workers.

Following a series of meetings from November 2013 to March 2014, the Working Group submitted their recommendations and road map to the Premier and all were accepted.


While many of the Working Group recommendations

are fairly general, and others clearly fall within the realm

of provincial government economic and labour market

policy (e.g., apprentice numbers on public projects,

temporary foreign workers), it is also evident that others

fall clearly within the mandate of ITA and consequently

should be partially or fully addressed in its Action Plan.

These include initiatives to:

• Implement LNG-related training immediately.

• Improve coordination of training.

• Remove barriers to training and expand literacy

and essential skills training.

• Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the

investment in training by leveraging successful

government, union, and private training programs.

• Promote awareness of LNG-related job

opportunities.

• Establish an inventory of individuals currently in

apprenticeship programs and journeypersons who

are available to provide mentoring and on-the-job

training to apprentices.

• Review the approach used by private sector

unions with respect to apprentices (e.g., joint

training boards) and by First Nations with respect

to training to determine if their approach can be

improved or applied more broadly.


ITA Review: ITA and Trades Training in BCIn 2013, the Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training was directed to undertake a review of the Industry Training Authority, with a particular focus on its capability to meet the growing demand for trades workers in the BC economy. The Minister subsequently commissioned an independent review of ITA. The final report was submitted to government in February 2014 and contains 29 recommendations for improving the performance of the organization and the system that generally fall within four imperatives:

• A seamless, outcome-oriented system

• Enhanced industry leadership

• A high-performance culture at ITA

• Improving access for apprentices

Implicit in the report and its recommendation are a number of key shifts that are intended to improve system performance, including:

• Moving the system to be demand driven, to meet the needs of workers and employers.

• Unifying cross-government decision-making, with funding allocated based upon labour market information and workforce targets.

• Reconstituting the ITA Board of Directors.

• Holding ITA and post-secondary institutions accountable for system results.

• Bringing the functions of Industry Training Organizations inside the ITA.

• Establishing Sector Advisory Groups.


The majority of the recommendations in the ITA Review

focus on broader policy, governance and organizational

measures that are intended to generally improve the

responsiveness of the system to industry needs and to

enhance ITA’s accountability and performance. There

are, however, a number of recommendations that

should be reflected in the Action Plan for LNG

Trades Training:

• Sector Advisory Groups should be created to

increase the direct role of industry in planning

and decision-making.

• Sector Advisory Groups should be asked to

advise government on the relevance and need

for specific policy directions for each sector,

with resulting recommendations backed up by

clear evidence relating to the projected impact

on achieving demand/supply alignment targets.

These policy issues may include the need for

reintroduction of compulsory certification,

apprentice quotas/ratios, expanded opportunities

for challenging for trades credentials, etc.

• Consideration should be given to the introduction

of a new group training organization within ITA that

is geared toward small and medium enterprises

(SMEs).

• Similarly, ITA should consider creating an internal

group training organization with a specific focus

on achieving targets to increase participation of all

sectors in Aboriginal communities.


B.C.’s Skills For Jobs BlueprintIn May 2014, the BC government unveiled a major cross- government four-year strategy to re-engineer the education and training system in the province. The strategy’s overall thrust is to better align the $7.5 billion in education and training investment with the requirements of the economy and the labour market. A key objective is to ensure that individuals are better prepared to fill the one million job openings in BC by 2022 that will result from retirements and increased growth in the economy. A very important feature of the Blueprint is that its intent is not to fundamentally change the system through increased overall investment, but rather to redirect existing financial resources towards areas of high priority that are determined through improved and expanded labour market analysis and information.

The B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint comprises three overarching policy objectives:

• A head start to hands-on learning in our schools

• A shift in education and training to better match with jobs in demand

• A stronger partnership with industry and labour to deliver training and apprenticeships

Numerous initiatives, many with direct relevance to ITA, are described under each of the three policy objectives that, in combination, effectively create the Blueprint for action.


It is very clear from the documentation provided by

the Province that the potential development of an LNG

sector in BC was a major impetus for the strategy,

and that this development will be a priority focus for

the application of the principles, goals and actions

contained in B.C.’s Skills For Jobs Blueprint.

Following are the specific actions that need to be

addressed in the ITA Action Plan for LNG Trades

Training:

1. A Head Start to hands-on learning in our schools

• Increasing youth participation with more trades

program spaces in high schools over the next

two years.

• Encouraging partnerships between school

districts, industry, municipalities, post-secondary

institutions and Aboriginal communities to get

more students into jobs.

• Raising awareness on full range of training and

career options.

• Informing and engaging parents, teachers and

counsellors, with a particular focus on in-demand

occupations.

2. A Shift in education and training to better match with

jobs in demand

• Engaging Aboriginal youth and focusing on their

needs, including:

• Linking the ITA Aboriginal Advisory Council with Aboriginal youth.

• Hiring five new Aboriginal Apprenticeship Advisors.

• Delivering community-based training.

• Finding training spaces through up-to-date

information on waitlists and vacant seats.

• Increasing investment in post-secondary

infrastructure and equipment for skills and trades

training ($750 million over the next three years,

including $185 million targeted towards trades training

infrastructure and equipment).


SUMMARY & IMPLICATIONS (CONT.)

3. A Stronger Partnership with Industry and Labour

to Deliver Training and Apprenticeships

• Increasing employer sponsors for apprenticeships.

• Developing innovative solutions to make trades

training work better (e.g., mobile trades training,

e-learning, simulators).

• Creating more work-based training.

• Maximizing employer investment in the

Canada–BC Job Grant.

• Formalizing the role of Sector Advisory Groups

to validate labour market data/projections and

provide advice on training investments.

• Increasing the numbers of apprenticeships

in high-demand trades ($10 million from the

Canada-BC Job Fund and Labour Market

Development Agreement (LMDA).

• Improving apprenticeship completion rates

(2% improvement by 2015).

• Sharing equipment and facilities for training.

• Hiring more Apprenticeship Advisors

(an additional 11 advisors).


Action plAn for lng trAdeS trAining


It is important to note that ITA has a significant amount of work already underway that will directly and indirectly support the LNG/natural gas industry, including:

• Ongoing Aboriginal engagement

• Ongoing trades promotion

• Realigning our learner demand fund to give priority to demand in LNG-related trades

• Enhanced challenge pathway (practicals, etc.) for high- demand trades

• Redesign of the Red Seal Heavy Equipment Operator and Heavy Duty Equipment Technician programs

• Labour Market Agreement (LMA) investment in northern training

itA Action plAn for lng trAdeS trAining

Action Planning Assumptions & PrinciplesThe following general assumptions and principles were adopted to guide the action planning and implementation process:

• The focus of the Action Plan is on those actions that can be realistically initiated and implemented during the period leading up to final investment decisions by the major LNG proponents. Once final investment decisions are made and construction begins on infrastructure, additional actions will need to be identified and implemented.

• The Action Plan builds off the analyses and planning that have already taken place, which are summarized in the subsequent sections. Concerted efforts have been made to identify and target those initiatives that fall within the mandate of ITA and to translate them into concrete actions for implementation.

• Given the growing urgency surrounding the development of the LNG sector in BC and the critical role that workforce development will play in making it a reality, effort have been made to prioritize actions that constitute “quick wins.”

• The sector scope of the Action Plan is on the entire natural gas value chain, including upstream (drilling and production), midstream (pipeline construction and operations) and downstream (LNG facility construction and operations).

• The geographic scope of the Action Plan covers the entire province of BC, but places a particular emphasis upon initiatives in the northern regions.

• While the focus of the Action Plan is on the LNG/natural gas sector, the majority of the actions can benefit all sectors in the economy.

• Funding to support the implementation of actions will come primarily from ITA, but efforts will be made to identify and leverage direct and indirect financial support from other stakeholders, including industry and other governments.

• The Action Plan has been reviewed during May to August 2014 and validated by key stakeholders, including industry, Aboriginal peoples and relevant government ministries as an initial step in implementation.

• Following validation, which includes the prioritization of actions, detailed work plans will be developed for each action to guide implementation.

• Currently, there are 16 actions, with eight confirmed (including six in progress) and eight proposed actions. ITA will continue receiving input from industry on the confirmed actions, and will further explore input from stakeholders on the proposed actions while reviewing the availability of resources.


confirMed ActionSaN actioN plaN for lNg trades traiNiNg


Confirmed Actions

CONFIRMED ACTION #1 – IN PROGRESS:

In conjunction with industry, establish/designate an

LNG/natural gas Sector Advisory Group that will provide

direct input to government and ITA on matters relating to

workforce development for the sector.

ranking: High – Medium

RATIONALE:• Sector Advisory Groups will be an essential

mechanism by which industry will play a direct role in planning and decision-making. For each sector, they are intended to advise government on the relevance and need for specific policy directions, to review and endorse labour market analyses and underlying assumptions, to review and endorse ITA-developed annual training plans, and to collaborate with ITA on a multi-year planning process.

• The LNG/natural gas sector has the very real potential to emerge as one of the leading drivers of the BC economy, with a potential industry capital investment of up to $175 billion, creating up to 100,000 new jobs.

• Given the critically important role that a highly trained, skilled and qualified workplace will play in the construction and operation of the industry, a new Sector Advisory Group is essential.

INTENDED OUTCOME(S):• A representative and fully engaged industry body to

provide guidance and advice to government and ITA on an ongoing basis.

IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS:• ITA should define the mandate and allow the industry

to determine how best to organize a Sector Advisory Group for the LNG/natural gas sector.

• There may be the potential to designate the new proposed structure recommended by the Premier’s LNG Working Group as a Sector Advisory Group.

• Given the urgency surrounding LNG development in the province, industry and ITA should expedite the establishment of the Sector Advisory Group.


Fast-track the remaining development of ITA occupational

standards for the Construction Craft Worker (Labourer)

Program and implement the program on a province-wide

basis in partnership with industry, labour and post-

secondary institutions.


RATIONALE:• Construction labourers are projected to be the

largest single area of occupation demand for the construction phase of LNG development in the province. It is projected that up to 12,000 additional labourers will be required.

• The Construction Craft Worker (Labourer) has now been designated as a Red Seal Trade nationally, with an attendant formal apprenticeship program leading to certification in all major jurisdictions in Canada, with the notable exception of BC.

• The establishment of a formal apprenticeship program tied to provincial/national certification will serve as an important mechanism to train and qualify new workers.

INTENDED OUTCOME(S):• A new Red Seal apprenticeship program for

Construction Craft Worker (Labourer) developed in collaboration with industry that will facilitate skill and knowledge development in a key, high-demand construction occupation and that will facilitate worker mobility.

IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS:• Significant standards work has already been

undertaken by the Construction Industry Training Organization (CITO), including the solicitation of industry support.

• A challenge mechanism should be developed to enable the certification of existing construction labourers.

• BC should seek to harmonize technical training for this trade with the other western provinces on a priority basis.



Develop a specialized Construction Craft Worker Foundation

Program targeted at First Nations individuals that integrates

essential skills and cross-cultural components.

ranking: High

RATIONALE:• The Construction Craft Worker will emerge as an

extremely high-demand occupation for LNG facility construction projects in the northwest region, for gas plant construction in the northeast region and for pipeline construction throughout the entire north. Consequently, it is an excellent target occupation for Aboriginal peoples in the north who wish to access employment opportunities.

• As compared to some of the other high-demand trades that require relatively advanced levels of education, the Construction Craft Worker requires less academic rigour and more of a focus on applied and practical skills. It is typically also a two-year apprenticeship program, compared to four years for other trades.

• The Construction Craft Worker can serve as a gateway to other trade certifications.

INTENDED OUTCOME(S):• An entry-level trades training program for Aboriginal

peoples in a key industrial construction occupation that will enable access to LNG construction jobs, and to further training opportunities leading to provincial/ national certification.

IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS:• There is an opportunity for the three northern colleges

to collaborate with industry and Aboriginal peoples in the development of the program.

• A front-end loaded model should be considered in which participants first complete all of the technical, essential and cross-cultural skill training in an institutional setting and then move on to the required work-based component.



Increasing youth participation over next two years with

a focus on high-demand LNG-related trades.

ranking: High

RATIONALE:• ITA currently invests approximately $4 million in high

school-based ACE IT programs, with about 19% of graduates making the transition into apprenticeship. For students who take both ACE IT and Secondary School Apprenticeship (SSA), the continuation rate jumps to 47%.

• ITA’s Youth programs, ACE IT and SSA, are a partnership between ITA and the BC Ministry of Education. ACE IT allows high school students to take first-level technical training that gives them dual credit for high school courses and apprenticeship or industry training programs. SSA allows high school students to begin work-based training for an apprenticeship program that also gives them dual credits.

• ACE IT provides school districts/board authorities with funding for students pursuing an apprenticeship career path to obtain the first level of technical training in a particular trade. Technical training classes are most often taught at colleges, but can also be offered at school district facilities.

• Of the approximately 2,500 ACE IT seats funded in 2014/15, approximately 11% are in the northern regions of the province.

• The top four ACE IT programs in the north are Welder (18%), Heavy Duty Equipment Technician (17%), Carpenter (16%) and Construction Electrician (14%).

INTENDED OUTCOME(S):• Improved high school graduation rates due to dual

credit opportunities.

• High school students attaining Level 1 technical training and work-based hours credits in high-demand trades.

• Opportunities for graduates to access employment/apprenticeship on LNG-related projects.

IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS:• Efforts need to be made with the school districts and

post-secondary training providers in the north to add new ACE IT/Foundation programs for the piping trades, Construction Craft Worker, and Millwright.

• Additional ACE IT opportunities will be created through the Northwest School to Work initiative.

• Efforts are needed to improve upon the relatively low continuation rate to apprenticeship for graduates (e.g., placement assistance).



Recruit, hire and deploy an additional 11 Apprenticeship

Advisors, five of whom will be focused on the Aboriginal

community to recruit and support Aboriginal apprentices.


RATIONALE:• There is now considerable evidence that employers

and apprentices require additional supports in order to strengthen the outcomes of the system, particularly continuation and completion rates.

• Apprenticeship Advisors are intended to build knowledge and awareness of the BC apprenticeship system, provide guidance to apprentices and sponsors on processes and policies relating to the apprenticeship journey, and enhance challenger pathways.

• Through an understanding of the regional environment and building relationships with local industry, sponsors and apprentices, the Apprenticeship Advisor’s role is to identify opportunities to remove barriers and boost success rates of apprenticeship.

• First Nations high school completion rates are significantly below the provincial average and Aboriginal people are under-represented in terms of apprenticeship participation and trades qualifications.

INTENDED OUTCOME(S):• Improved continuation rates from Foundation and

ACE IT programs to apprenticeship, increased completion rates for apprentices (i.e., attainment of trades certification) and expanded participation of Aboriginal peoples in trades training programs and, eventually, employment in the LNG/natural gas sector.

IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS:• Consideration should be given to recruit and hire

advisors who are familiar with the regions in which they will be deployed and who have some knowledge of the resource sector, in particular LNG/natural gas.

• Consideration should be given to deploying the majority of the First Nations advisors in the northern “LNG corridor”.


Develop an ITA communications strategy focused on trades-

related employment and training opportunities in the LNG/

natural gas sector.


RATIONALE:• The upstream natural gas industry in BC is not well

understood by the majority of British Columbians, despite the fact that it is a mature industry in the northeast region.

• As we have not built new major pipelines in BC for decades, the midstream component of the natural gas industry is also not that well understood.

• The downstream (LNG facility) component of the industry is new to both the province and North America and is generally not understood at all.

• The most significant demand area for all three components of the LNG/natural gas sector for both construction and operations will be for trades-related occupations.

• British Columbians need to become much better informed of the nature of the jobs in the industry, including training programs and qualification requirements if they are going to be able to access the coming employment opportunities and if the industry is going to meet its requirements for a skilled workforce.

INTENDED OUTCOME(S):• Current, relevant and accessible information on

trades occupations in the LNG/natural gas sector, including forecasted numbers, locations, qualification requirements, and available training and funding supports.

IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS:• Key target audiences for the communications strategy

will need to include northern residents, high school students, Aboriginal peoples and the general BC population.

• The messaging should be customized to specific audiences.


CONFIRMED ACTION #7:

Establish provincial/interprovincial occupational standards

for a range of service jobs in the upstream sector by

adopting the standards that have been developed by PSAC,

Enform, and Alberta Apprenticeship under the Petroleum

Competency Program.


RATIONALE:• BC has a robust upstream gas industry in the northeast

of the province with more than 13,000 employees. These numbers will need to increase significantly in order to meet the demand for additional gas for LNG operations.

• The Alberta industry has developed the Petroleum Competency Program, which certifies upstream workers in a number of petroleum industry occupations including oil and gas transportation services, snubbing services, well testing services, slickline services and cased hole services.

• The program provides the opportunity for existing workers to have their competency assessed and receive industry certification and also certification from Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training.

• The Petroleum Competency Program confers benefits to employees and employers, including improved mobility, improved safety and proof of regulatory compliance.

INTENDED OUTCOME(S):• Competency-based assessment and industry/

provincial certification opportunities for upstream workers in the natural gas industry.

IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS:• There are currently few certifications available to

upstream workers in BC.

• Enform and the Petroleum Services Association of Canada are strongly interested in extending the program to BC and Saskatchewan.

• The existing standards could be used as a basis for developing entry-level programs for the upstream industry.

• There may be an opportunity to use the Canada- BC Job Grant to offset the costs of assessment for employers.


CONFIRMED ACTION #8:

Conduct further research into an alternative sponsorship/

group training model for smaller employers that provides

enhanced supports and allows apprentices to complete their

apprenticeships with a number of employers.

ranking: High - Medium

RATIONALE:• Many smaller employers do not participate in

apprenticeship training for a variety of reasons, including:

• A lack of internal administrative capacity

• Inability to commit to a four-year apprenticeship term

• A project- or contract-based work environment, resulting in a lack of employment continuity

• Inability to provide work experience in the full scope of a trade

• Alternative sponsorship models are extensively used in the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) construction sector in the form of Joint Training Boards. Under this model, apprentices are registered with a trade-specific Joint Board that coordinates all administrative aspects of apprenticeship and deploys them on projects. BC Joint Boards typically have apprentice completion rates in excess of 90%.

• Australia has developed community, regional and sector-based alternative sponsorship models in the form of Group Training Organizations (GTOs) that are the largest single sponsors of apprentices in their system. One defining feature of the GTO model is that the GTO often serves as sponsor and the employer of record, placing apprentices with employers on a contractual basis and charging back for wages, benefits and administrative costs.

• As small employers are still the dominant sponsors in BC and there is evidence of declining participation, it is essential to explore new approaches that can complement the traditional sponsorship model.

INTENDED OUTCOME(S):• An alternative sponsorship mechanism that

provides improved apprentice supports, increases the numbers of apprentices in the system and increases completion rates.

IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS:• The Resource Training Organization has extensively

researched the Australian GTO model and has developed a full business/implementation plan with ITA financial support. There has been no success to date in moving this forward.

• Small upstream employers in the northeast region of the province that utilize skilled trades but that typically do not participate in apprenticeship training could be a suitable target for piloting the concept.

• It might be feasible to establish a specialized group training model for First Nations in the northwest region.


propoSed ActionSaN actioN plaN for lNg trades traiNiNg


PROPOSED ACTION #2:

Fund the delivery of a pilot project for on-site technical

training for apprentices in partnership with industry and

training providers.

ranking: Medium

RATIONALE:• The requirement for block release technical training is

often cited as a major problem for both employers and apprentices. Block release typically entails apprentices leaving the work site for between six and ten weeks per year to participate in technical training at a post-secondary institution. For smaller employers, this can result in major disruptions to production and project schedules. For apprentices, this can translate in the need to geographically relocate to take training plus a significant drop in earnings, as they must revert to Employment Insurance (EI) supports.

• Failure to complete technical training requirements has been identified as a major factor in low completion rates for apprentices.

• The provision of on-site technical training, particularly for large-scale construction/capital projects such as LNG facilities, needs to be pursued.

INTENDED OUTCOME(S):• The availability of on-site technical training on LNG-

related construction sites in high-demand occupations as an alternative to block release training.

PROPOSED ACTION #1:

Participate in the Northwest School to Work initiative

in partnership with school districts, post-secondary

institutions, Aboriginal peoples, communities and industry.

ranking: High

RATIONALE:• The Northwest School to Work initiative (working title)

is a major collaborative effort to substantially improve the graduation rate for high school students in the northwest region. Key aspects of the model, which is based on the highly successful Northern Opportunities initiative in the northeast, include the incorporation of dual credit trades training at the high school level and the direct involvement of industry with the education system.

• This initiative is a key action in both the Northwest Regional Training Plan and the BC Natural Gas Workforce Strategy. It also directly aligns with virtually all of the actions for the redesign of the K-12 system delineated in the B.C.’s Skills For Jobs Blueprint (a head start to hands-on learning in our schools).

• The majority of the jobs in the LNG sector will require a minimum of high school completion.

INTENDED OUTCOME(S):• An increase of 15–20% in the high school completion

rate for students in the northwest region.

• The acquisition of trades skill, knowledge and credit for students at the high school level, and improved linkages to the labour market.

Proposed Actions


PROPOSED ACTION #3:

Evaluate the front-end loaded training model for commercial

transport and determine if it should be expanded to

LNG high-priority trades in conjunction with industry

and training providers.

ranking: Medium – low

RATIONALE:• A frequent reason cited by many employers for

not hiring apprentices is that their levels of skills, knowledge and productivity are too low. Increased upfront training is proposed as a solution.

• Major companies in the truck repair industry have partnered with Thompson Rivers University (TRU) to offer an Accelerated Learning Apprenticeship program for the Truck and Transport Mechanic trade. The model entails industry recruiting/sponsoring candidates who are then placed in a specialized front-end 17-month training program wherein they complete all of their technical training requirements, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) training and practicums. They are then placed into a work-based apprenticeship to complete the required 6,000 hours of on-the-job training followed by examination and Red Seal certification.

• The industry/TRU pilot program, if successful, has the potential to be expanded to other trades and institutions and, importantly, could allow the commencement of trades training in advance of major capital projects in the LNG industry.

INTENDED OUTCOME(S):• An alternative apprenticeship model that will enable

apprentices to start training in advance of the start of LNG-related construction projects.

PROPOSED ACTION #4:

Invest in the construction of 1–2 mobile trades training units

that can be deployed in the northwest region to provide

access to introductory trades training in rural communities,

with a particular focus on Aboriginal peoples and high school

students unable to access trades training facilities.


RATIONALE:• Providing access to trades training in the northwest

region of the province is an absolute imperative if residents are going to be able to access LNG–related job opportunities and if LNG projects are going to be able to acquire and maintain social licence.

• An enormous barrier is the lack of adequate trades training facilities in a region that makes up nearly a quarter of the province and has numerous small rural communities. The facilities at the Terrace campus of Northwest Community College are currently the only comprehensive trades training facilities available.

• Mobile trades training units currently in use by the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in northern Alberta, the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technolgy (SIAST) in Saskatchewan, and TRU and the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT) in BC have demonstrated success in expanding and enabling access to trades training in situations where it would be cost prohibitive to establish permanent facilities.

INTENDED OUTCOME(S):• Direct access to trades training in numerous small rural

communities in the northwest region of the province.


PROPOSED ACTION #5:

Explore the development of an apprenticeship technical

training e-learning strategy for high-priority trades in

collaboration with the other western provinces under the

New West Partnership.

ranking: High - Medium

RATIONALE:• There is a well-identified need to find more flexible

ways to deliver the technical training component of apprenticeship by leveraging technology. If well designed and with appropriate learner supports, e-learning can be used in non-trades training contexts to expand access, reduce costs and improve outcomes. Experience indicates that blended delivery models that combine e-leaning with more traditional delivery strategies tend to be optimal.

• Front-end development costs can present a major challenge for e-learning delivery, particularly in more technical areas that require advanced graphics and simulations. Establishing a development consortium with the three apprenticeship oversight bodies in the western provinces and selected post-secondary institutions with demonstrated e-learning expertise is a logical approach to pool capabilities, manage and share costs, and increase benefits and outcomes.

INTENDED OUTCOME(S):• High quality e-leaning resources for high-demand

trades occupations developed to national occupational standards that can be used to provide greater flexibility, reduce institutional training times and support upgrading for existing workers.

PROPOSED ACTION #6:

Pilot an advanced entry apprenticeship model that recruits

apprentices who have dropped out of the system and

uncertified individuals with relevant experience in the

scope of the trades. Candidates are assessed, provided with

appropriate advanced standing and placed with employers

with the goal of achieving certification in 18–24 months.

ranking: Medium

RATIONALE:• All major LNG proponents are indicating that formal

Red Seal certification will likely be a requirement for trades workers on their projects.

• There are significant numbers of individuals who, for a variety of reasons, start but never complete their apprenticeships. Hours and technical training credits are retained in the ITA system.

• There are also many individuals who work in the scope of a trade and develop applicable skills and knowledge, but are never registered as apprentices or gain certification. Mechanisms exist for prior learning assessment and, where appropriate, the granting of both hours and technical training credits. There is also a well-established mechanism for individuals to document their work experience and achieve certification through a challenge process.

• The level of anticipated demand for certified trades workers on LNG-related projects and attendant concerns regarding shortages warrants targeted efforts to identify, recruit and qualify the “hidden workforce” in BC.

INTENDED OUTCOME(S):• A mechanism to enable individuals with relevant

training and/or work experience to gain certification, thereby increasing the number of certified tradespersons available for major projects.


PROPOSED ACTION #7:

Develop a “Blue Seal” Endorsement program that focuses

on upgrading Red Seal journeypersons with skills and

knowledge in workplace supervision, mentoring, and

construction project management.

ranking: Medium

RATIONALE:• Analysis undertaken into major cost overruns on

Australian LNG construction projects indicates that, rather than skills shortages, one of the key factors is “skills dilution” and low levels of worker productivity. In particular, challenges have been identified for supervisory and project management functions.

• Most certified journeypersons who advance into supervision and project management roles develop the required skills and knowledge informally in the workplace, and receive no form of formal recognition or certification.

• Increased demand for supervisors and project managers on LNG-related capital projects, combined with attrition due to retirements, warrants the establishment of supervision and project management training programs designed for certified journeypersons and leading to “Blue Seal” certification by ITA.

INTENDED OUTCOME(S):• A mechanism to provide the additional strategic skills

and knowledge required on large capital projects to existing journeypersons, and to have it recognized through formal certification/endorsement by ITA.

PROPOSED ACTION #8:

In collaboration with the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and

Skills Training, develop a strategy for leveraging the

Canada-BC Job Grant to facilitate the hiring of apprentices

by employers who are directly or indirectly involved in the

LNG/natural gas sector.

ranking: Medium

RATIONALE:• The Canada-BC Job Grant is intended to assist BC

residents with getting the training they need for available jobs and to put skills training decisions in the hands of employers. It will provide up to $15,000 per person for training costs such as tuition and training materials, which includes up to $10,000 in federal contributions. Employers will be required to contribute, on average, one-third of the total cost of training.

• It is likely that smaller employers will be able to count 50% of employee wage costs as part of their contribution.

• The Canada–BC Job Grant combined with other existing federal and provincial apprenticeship tax credits has a very real potential to provide significant incentives for employers to sponsor new apprentices.

INTENDED OUTCOME(S):• An increase in the numbers of apprentices entering the

system and an increase in apprenticeship completions.


conclUSion

The development of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry in BC presents an unprecedented opportunity to further diversify and expand the provincial economy. This development, however, also presents major challenges in ensuring that we have the skilled workforce to build and operate billions of dollars of new infrastructure in the upstream, midstream and downstream segments of the industry. Of particular importance will be the availability of highly skilled and fully qualified trades workers.

BC has an advanced, well-functioning trades and apprenticeship training system that is currently undergoing some adjustment to improve its responsiveness to the opportunities and challenges presented by LNG. Considerable effort has also been expended at regional and provincial levels in workforce analysis and planning, including detailed labour market forecasts for the LNG/natural gas industry.

It is now essential that we move beyond analysis and planning and shift our focus to the implementation of concrete and achievable actions that will provide British Columbians with the opportunities to access trades training and trades careers and that will provide industry with the required workforce.


AppendiceS


APPENDIX 1

nortHeASt regionAl SKillS trAining plAn

GOAL 1:

Increase the pool of potential workers for


PURPOSE:To fill the demand for workers with strong foundational skills that enable individuals to train for high-demand occupations.

ACTIONS:• Coordinate a comprehensive career pathway and

labour market information initiative for regional students, workers and employers.

• Build on and expand innovative pilot projects that target under-represented groups.

• Enhance/pilot programs that provide career pathways for under-skilled workers in the region.

GOAL 2:

Increase capacity in the region to develop and deliver “agile”

training.

PURPOSE:To increase the ability of training providers to meet the ongoing needs of individuals and employers in a timely and targeted fashion.

ACTIONS:• Enhance/pilot programs for delivering instruction for


• Pilot accelerated training delivery models for regional high-demand occupations (accelerated apprenticeship models, etc.).

GOAL 3:

Enhance skill development for new and growing businesses

in northeast BC.

PURPOSE:Help existing and new Northeast business owners develop skills to grow and effectively manage their operations.

ACTIONS:• Support and expand existing initiatives that

provide training in business management and entrepreneurship.

• Encourage business management and entrepreneurship training with high school and post-secondary students.

• Expand training to help local businesses and contractors with procurement and human resources needs.

GOAL 4:

Address any training gaps for high-demand occupations.

PURPOSE:Ensure industry has skilled workers who meet workforce needs.

ACTIONS:• Identify potential partnerships with other provincial

and/or national training providers in order to provide regional access to training in high-demand occupations for which no training is currently available locally.

• Through the Centre of Training Excellence in Oil and Gas, pilot an initiative that works to ensure standardized learning outcomes from different training programs that lead to a common designation.

• Work with employers to identify barriers to participation in training programs, develop solutions aimed at reducing those barriers and solicit their active engagement in training initiatives.


APPENDIX 2

nortHweSt regionAl SKillS trAining plAn

GOAL 1:

Provide students with a vision of a bright economic future

in the region.

PURPOSE:To provide students with an incentive to stay in school by increasing awareness of the jobs that the major projects will bring and providing early access to training for high- demand trades and technical occupations.

ACTIONS:• Establish a northwest version of the Northern

Opportunities dual credit initiative.

• Establish industry liaison and cooperation programs for middle and senior high schools.

• Partner with community organizations and industry to acquire the hardware and software to strengthen the integration of technology into classroom learning.

GOAL 2:

Help lower-skilled workers upgrade to gain access

to construction and operations jobs that the major projects

will create.

PURPOSE:Maximize employment opportunities for lower-skilled workers from the region and provide employers with skilled labour.

ACTIONS:• Develop a Major Projects Labour Market Information

initiative to inform people, specifically unemployed or underemployed individuals, about the projects and jobs coming to the region.

• Build on existing regional literacy and numeracy upgrading programs, and develop action plans to increase literacy and numeracy in lower-skilled people.

• Provide information about competency-based approaches for assessing knowledge and training skills for jobs and workers.

GOAL 3:

Increase Aboriginal people’s participation

in high-demand occupations.

PURPOSE:Ensure Aboriginal people derive full individual and community benefits from economic activity taking place in the region.

ACTIONS:• Work with Aboriginal people in the region to identify

training and workforce development opportunities.

• Develop and implement two-way cultural awareness training in job skills training programs.

• Build on existing regional efforts in job-search training to enhance opportunities for successful applications from Aboriginal people.

GOAL 4:

Encourage collaboration among industry- and regionally-

based training providers.

PURPOSE:Ensure that training available in the northwest region continues to reflect and adapt to regional employment needs.

ACTIONS:• Enhance coordination and collaboration among

regional training providers and relevant organizations to fill training gaps where appropriate.

• Identify existing training programs or courses that could be adapted to support training for high-demand occupations.

• Work with existing groups to share best practices on innovative training programs that successfully meet industry needs.


GOAL 5:

Keep people informed and encourage collaboration to

achieve Training Plan goals.

PURPOSE:Increase awareness of Training Plan and maximize its benefits.

ACTIONS:• Identify opportunities to keep people in the region

informed of the status of the Training Plan.


APPENDIX 3

nortHweSt trAnSMiSSion line HUMAn reSoUrce StrAtegY

Summary of the Short-term Strategies and Actions

STRATEGY 1:

Maximize the opportunities for already trained local workers

to meet the needs of major projects.

PURPOSE:Maximize employment of local workers and provide industry with cost-effective local labour.

ACTIONS:• Develop a regional website/information portal.

• Develop a workforce opportunity promotion campaign that targets local people.

• Fund a Community Human Resources Coordinator network.

• Develop and implement a northwest BC recruitment package.

• Develop formal partnerships between major project owners, contractors and local groups.

STRATEGY 2:

Develop an education, training and development plan to

ensure local people are workforce-ready.

PURPOSE:Make sure local people have the right skills for industry needs.

ACTIONS:• Initiate an industry/training organization

Peak Demand Summit.

• Develop an industry-education cooperation program.

• Improve access to education, training, certifications and apprenticeship programs for high-demand occupations.

Summary of Medium to Longer Term (3–5 Year) Actions

ACTIONS:• Develop mentoring programs to support

skills upgrading.

• Develop programs to foster and encourage local business as suppliers to major projects.

• Enhance/establish employment-related training programs in primary and secondary schools.


APPENDIX 4

Bc nAtUrAl gAS worKforce StrAtegY & Action plAn

STRATEGY:

Develop the skills and qualifications required for natural gas

construction and operations and increase the local pool of

qualified talent.

ACTIONS:• Develop and implement a mechanism for regular

communication between industry and training organizations regarding training requirements. (Immediate)

• Develop and implement an enhanced apprenticeship training model and strategy for the natural gas sector construction projects and ongoing operations. (Immediate)

• Develop tools, materials and dissemination plan to support the application of the B.C. Natural Gas Skills & Qualifications Transferability Matrix. (Immediate)

• Compile existing competency-based skills assessments and develop competency-based tools that currently do not yet exist for high-demand occupations. Provide “gap” training. (Compile: Immediate; Training: After Final investment decision)

• Develop and implement a post-secondary LNG operator training program. (After Final investment decision)

STRATEGY:

Communicate up-to-date labour market and

career information.

ACTIONS:• Produce regular, realistic labour market and career

information for the BC natural gas construction and operations. (Immediate)

• Develop labour demand information on the employment opportunities associated with the contracted services (indirect jobs) required to support natural gas activity. (Immediate)

• Produce industrial construction workforce projections for northern BC to 2025 to provide insights into the level of competition that construction of natural gas projects may face. (Immediate)

STRATEGY:

Address the barriers to local labour force participation

in natural gas-related employment, especially within

under-represented groups.

ACTIONS:• Support the adoption/expansion of dual credit

programs across BC to enhance youth participation in natural gas-related employment. (Immediate)

• Develop and implement a Women in Natural Gas program to increase female participation in in-demand natural gas jobs. (Immediate)

• Develop occupational standards and assessment tools for labourer and helper roles. (Immediate)


STRATEGY:

Develop the capacity of local businesses to participate

in the natural gas-related economic growth.

ACTIONS:• Provide training to help local businesses participate

in procurement processes and grow their business. (Immediate)

STRATEGY:

Source and relocate workers from other parts of BC, Canada

and the world to natural gas operating regions.

ACTIONS:• Conduct information sessions in southern BC and

across Canada in regions with higher unemployment rates among in-demand occupations. (After final investment decision)

STRATEGY:

Offer work arrangements that support temporary relocation

for short-term labour demand in the region.

ACTIONS:• Research best practices for sourcing the workforce

required to support the development of major natural resource projects including the relocation of workers, the use of fly-in/fly-out, rotation work assignments, and temporary workers. (Immediate)


APPENDIX 5

tHe preMier’S lng worKing groUp recoMMendAtionS

1. Develop a structure with equal representation from industry (including contractor associations), organized labour, First Nations, and governments to participate and enable the skills training and workforce planning issues leading to employment in the LNG opportunity on an ongoing basis after March 31, 2014. The structure, membership, and Terms of Reference should be established no later than July 1, 2014, in consultation with the members of the Premier’s LNG Working Group. In addition, the structure should be established in co-ordination with other LNG workforce activities already underway.

2. Begin planning and training British Columbians immediately for the LNG opportunity.

3. Training should be co-ordinated throughout B.C. and Canada to maximize the effectiveness of the existing labour pool and lead to employment.

4. Identify and remove barriers to entry into training while supporting literacy and essential skills development to support local and B.C. work-based training and employment.

5. Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the investment in training by leveraging successful government, union, and private training programs.

6. In conjunction with recommendation #7, industry, governments, organized labour, and First Nations should partner to conduct campaigns and career fairs in high schools, colleges and cultural centres on the LNG opportunity.

7. Promote awareness of job opportunities in B.C., including work-based training with a focus in rural, northern, and First Nations communities.

8. Establish an inventory of individuals currently in apprenticeship programs and other non-apprenticeship skilled workers seeking employment. Include in the inventory journeypersons who are available to provide mentoring and on-the-job training to apprentices.

9. Aspire to a goal of having 25% overall of the apprenticeable trades workforce on LNG-related construction projects and whether funding for apprentices can come from industry and/or government. In addition, government should consider having a minimum number of apprentices on public infrastructure projects.

10. Review the approach used by private-sector unions with respect to apprentices and by First Nations with respect to training to determine if their approach can be improved or applied more broadly.

11. Explore and analyze projects that have used a mobile workforce. In addition, it is important to identify and resolve the barriers to worker mobility in relation to trades qualification and certification.

12. Target areas of opportunity by focusing on workers finishing construction or other projects in all areas of the province.

13. Explore best practices within the LNG sector and other competing industries with respect to the conditions necessary to attract a mobile workforce.

14. Develop a plan to support workers from other jurisdictions to stay in B.C.

15. Further refine and develop a process for the use of Temporary Foreign Workers in the context of an overall strategy that identifies the workforce needs of the LNG opportunity and immediately begins a skills training plan to develop as many British Columbian and Canadian workers as possible to meet those needs. The structure contemplated in Recommendation #1 will be seized with the responsibility to refine and develop a process for the use of Temporary Foreign Workers.


APPENDIX 6

SUMMArY of itA reView finAl report recoMMendAtionS

1. Government should introduce annual and multi-year planning to define province-wide sectoral and regional labour market demand targets for sectors and high priority trades that fall under ITA oversight. Planning should clearly identify fixed factors such as demographics, and variable factors, such as economic assumptions. Through this planning, government should set galvanizing targets for the overall outcomes of the system. Industry should be involved in endorsing the planning process in advance, including data sources and assumptions (see Recommendation 12 regarding Sector Advisory Groups).

2. Clear sectoral sub-targets should be set by government to address the potential to increase participation from aboriginal communities, and from the K-12 system. Annual evaluation of overall system outcomes should pay close attention to whether these sub-targets are being met.

3. The remaining projected trades-related supply/demand deficit should be analyzed to determine a minimum necessary target to be filled by temporary foreign skilled workers by sector.

4. As a separate initiative, the planning process should also be used to assess whether the right proportion of available funding is directed to trades training versus other academic and vocational programming, based on projections of relative labour market demand and costs of programming.

5. Government should confirm that its own decisions will be aligned with these targets in every way, and reinforce that every partner in the system has a role in meeting them. In addition:

a. Government should no longer independently direct training funding to PSIs or other organizations but instead empower accountability within the ITA for both decisions and outcomes. This will require transferring existing base and discretionary funding from AVED so overall funding levels are not reduced.

b. Capital funding decisions made by AVED related to trades must be directly linked to the same planning process and identified strategies to meet targets.

c. An appropriate portion of Labour Market Agreement (LMA) and Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA) funding

should be moved to the ITA, and integrated into its planning process to meet outcome targets.

6. Government should create a cross-ministry shared services mechanism to ensure alignment of funding decisions, including, but not limited to, trades training.

7. The ITA should be retained as a Crown Agency, with its current role re-confirmed.

8. The Province should take steps to resolve any competing authority of PSIs to set program standards, if necessary introducing legislative change to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the ITA.

9. MOUs should be formalized between the ITA and the BC Safety Authority and the BC Association for Crane Safety regarding cooperation to avoid overlap or conflict in certification responsibilities.

10. The Trades Training Consortium of BC should no longer be designated as a Crown Agency.

11. The employer engagement, training plan validation, and standards/program development setting functions of ITOs should be brought into the ITA, with industry expertise and the infrastructure of industry subject matter expert committees that ITOs have developed to inform standards development/updating incorporated into the ITA’s core functions.

12. Sector Advisory Groups should be created to increase the direct role of industry in planning and decision making. Councils should strive for representation by employers rather than employer associations or consultants, and should include organized labour.

13. The ITA Board should be re-constituted in the immediate term to reflect the following membership:

a. rejuvenation of board members; and

b. broad sectoral representation (although not on an “equal” or “interest-based” formula); and

c. long-term industry/trades experience, ideally at a senior level; and

d. inclusion of individuals with knowledge and experience in labour organizations; and

e. recognition by others as having demonstrated personal leadership achievements related to the goals of the system (e.g. innovative accomplishments in recruitment, training and


retention of workers; partnerships between employers, trainers, equipment manufacturers or others); and

f. strong capability to fulfill Board responsibilities (knowledge and experience in the role and functions of an effective Board); and

g. widely recognized by others as a “corporate” player who can bring past experience yet rise above individual interests to focus on overall outcomes.

14. Organized labour should be recognized in the definition of “industry”.

15. Sector Advisory Groups should be asked to advise government on the relevance and need for specific policy directions for each sector, with resulting recommendations backed up by clear evidence relating to projected impact on achieving demand/supply alignment targets. These policy issues may include the need for re-introduction of compulsory certification, apprentice quotas/ratios, expanded opportunities for challenging for trades credentials, etc.

16. Working with its partners and users, the ITA should develop a clear and simple Service Charter to guide its operations, standards of service quality and to serve as the basis for annual feedback from users, system partners, and internal employees.

17. Government’s Letter of Expectations to the ITA, and its approval of the ITA Service Plan, should set out outcome-based measures rather than general objectives. Key performance indicators for the ITA should be tightly linked to meeting labour market demand targets, as well as achieving high feedback scores from its users.

18. Involving Sector Advisory Groups and with input from training providers, the ITA should implement a new evidence-based, multi-year planning process to set priorities and allocate funding in direct alignment with demand/supply targets.

19. Through its annual training investment planning process, the ITA should work towards providing greater multi-year planning certainty for training providers. Involving advice from Sector Advisory Groups, the ITA should eliminate the present system of fiscal year-end holdbacks for courses that are not delivered by public training institutions and instead consider introducing new flexibilities for training providers including variable class sizes.

20. Government should consider the introduction of mechanisms to enable the ITA to undertake

multi-year budgeting, with any surplus returned to government periodically.

21. The ITA should identify and apply internal cost savings to more rapidly introduce a larger number of regional advisors to coordinate, track and support apprentices, and liaise with employers and other partners such as training providers and the K-12 system. A minimum target of 15 advisors should be introduced within the next calendar year.

22. The ITA should develop a plan for improved data collection and reporting, focusing on accuracy and the ability to track registrants in the system more effectively. This data should be used to evaluate the effectiveness of programs and be provided annually to government to supplement other data sets to track demand/supply alignment.

23. Consideration should be given to the introduction of a new group training organization within the ITA geared towards SMEs.

24. Similarly, the ITA should consider creating an internal group training organization with a specific focus on achieving targets to increase participation for all sectors from Aboriginal communities.

25. Industry sectors and employer associations should be encouraged to work together with ITA, PSIs and the K-12 system to improve the culture of trades and bridging into training and employment for youth.

26. Government should lead an initiative with the broader public sector to analyze future workforce needs in relation to the trades, and to explore the potential for a collaborative plan to increase the number of apprentices employed in the public sector, including possible joint sponsorship and shared work experience opportunities.

27. Government should assess the opportunity to enhance bid criteria on public sector procurement projects in relation to apprentice quotas.

28. The Ministry of JTST and the ITA should jointly host an annual Innovation Forum where leaders from training institutions, the K-12 system, First Nations communities, employers and other stakeholders can learn from each other and make new connections to work together.

29. A 90-day transition plan should be developed with the participation of an oversight committee of industry representatives to ensure smooth and transparent implementation.


APPENDIX 7

B.c.’S SKillS for JoBS BlUeprint

A HEAD START TO HANDS ON LEARNING IN OUR SCHOOLS

BLUEPRINT ACTIONS

•Increasing youth participation over the next two years.

• Ministry to work with districts to increase skills training and recruitment capacity and provide on the ground support for northern districts in the LNG corridor

• Relocation subsidies for up to 100 students to relocate to participate in ACE IT

• Expanding ACE IT intake periods

• Expanding WorkBC website and web tools to focus on youth, including a skills training micro site housing Blueprint tool to customize their own skills training blueprint plus video success stories.

• Encouraging Partnerships between school districts, industry, municipalities, post-secondary institutions and aboriginal communities to get more students into jobs.

• Funding for apprenticeship Trades Ambassadors to visit students in their schools to promote trades careers.

• Reforming Grade 10-12 graduation requirements to allow personalized graduation plans.

• Developing an Applied Skills Curriculum in Grades K–9 by 2015.

• Providing more teachers who have the qualifications and skills to teach foundation courses for skills and apprenticeship.

• Making it faster and easier for qualified tradespersons to earn teaching certificates.

• Providing more skills training scholarships to students facing barriers to skills training.

• Raising awareness on full range of training and career options.

• Informing and engaging parents, teachers and counselors, with a particular focus on in-demand occupations.

• Involving education-sector leaders in a skills outreach and promotion strategy, including promotion of skills and trades.

A SHIFT IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO BETTER MATCH WITH JOBS IN DEMAND

BLUEPRINT ACTIONS

• Using student financial aid to support labour market needs and priorities (Student Loan Forgiveness Program, BC Access Grant).

• Re-engineering operating grants to support high-demand occupation ($40 million in 2014/15; $90 million in 2015/16; $270 million in 2016/2017).

• Providing more training for trades training seats ($6.6 million additional funding in 2014/15).

• Providing more programs for persons with disabilities to access technical and trades training.

• Providing additional funding for project-based labour market programs for youth (e.g. Bladerunners, Youth Skills).

• Engaging Aboriginal youth and focusing on their needs, including:

• Linking the ITA Aboriginal Advisory Council with Aboriginal youth

• Five new Aboriginal Apprenticeship Advisors

• Community-based delivery of training

• Finding training spaces through up-to-date information on waitlists ad vacant seats.

• Increasing investment in post-secondary infrastructure and equipment for skills and trades training ($750 million over next 3 years, including $185 million targeted towards trades training infrastructure and equipment).


A STRONGER PARTNERSHIP WITH INDUSTRY AND LABOUR TO DELIVER TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIPS

BLUEPRINT ACTIONS

• Getting and using better data to drive decisions.

• Quarterly labour force projections for each sector

• Establishing Labour Market Priorities Board to ensure funding is targeted to priority areas

• Refocusing ITA to ensure:

• Increased accountability in the system for outcomes

• A high performing ITA with strong leadership

• A meaningful role for industry and employers, including labour

• An increased supply of skilled trades workers

• Increasing employer sponsors for apprenticeships.

• Developing innovative solutions to make trades training work better (e.g. mobile trades training, e-learning, simulators).

• Investing in connecting youth with the workplace.

• Creating more work-based training.

• Preparing and matching British Columbains with jobs, including:

• Providing up-to-date career information through WorkBC Employment Service Centres

• $7.4 million in EI supports for apprentices

• Maximizing employer investment in Canada–BC Job Grant.

• Formalizing the role for Sector Advisory Groups to validate labour market data/projections and provide advice on training investments.

• Increasing the numbers of apprenticeships in high-demand trades ($10 million from Canada-BC Job Fund and LMDA).

• Improving apprenticeship completion rates (2% improvement by 2015).

• Sharing equipment and facilities for training.

• Hiring more apprenticeship advisors (additional 11 advisors).

• Work in partnership with the Government of Canada (via Memorandum of Understanding on A Strong Resource Economy).

• Making it easier for workers to move between major projects, including increased harmonization with western provinces.

• Possibly increasing apprenticeship on public projects.


APPENDIX 8

Action prioritizAtion1

ACTION RANKING STATUS2

In conjunction with industry establish/designate an LNG/natural gas Sector Advisory Group that will provide direct input to government and ITA on matters relating to workforce development for the sector.

High - Medium Confirmed Action #1– In Progress

Fast-track the remaining development of ITA occupational standards for the Construction Craft Worker (Labourer) Program and implement the program on a province-wide basis in partnership with industry, labour and post-secondary institutions.

High - Medium Confirmed Action #2– In Progress

Develop a specialized Construction Craft Worker Foundation Program targeted at First Nations individuals that integrates essential skills and cross-cultural components.

High Confirmed Action #3– In Progress

Participate in the Northwest School to Work initiative in partnership with school districts, post-secondary institutions, First Nations, communities and industry.

High Proposed Action #1

Explore the establishment of placement mechanisms that provide comprehensive assistance to students graduating from high school with ACE IT credits (i.e., Level 1) and from college Foundation programs in high-priority trades to assist them in securing apprenticeships with employers.

High Proposed Action #5

Establish provincial/interprovincial occupational standards for a range of service jobs in the upstream sector by adopting the standards that have been developed by PSAC , Enform, and Alberta Apprenticeship under the Petroleum Competency Program.

High – Medium Confirmed Action #7

Fund the delivery of a pilot project for the delivery of on-site technical training for apprentices in partnership with industry and training providers.

High – Medium Proposed Action #2

Evaluate the front-end loaded training model for commercial transport and determine if it can be expanded to LNG high-priority trades in conjunction with industry and training providers.

Medium – Low Proposed Action #3

1 Initial prioritization of the actions has been based upon consultations. Detailed work plans will be developed for each action to guide implementation.

2 As of August 18, 2014.


ACTION RANKING STATUS

Evaluate the front-end loaded training model for commercial transport and determine if it can be expanded to LNG high-priority trades in conjunction with industry and training providers.

Medium – Low Proposed Action #3

Invest in the construction of 1–2 mobile trades training units that can be deployed in the northwest region to provide access to introductory trades training in rural communities, with a particular focus on First Nations and high school students unable to access trades training facilities.


Explore the development of an apprenticeship technical training e-learning strategy for high-priority trades in collaboration with the other western provinces under the New West Partnership.


Further investigate an alternative sponsorship/group training model for smaller employers that provides enhanced supports and allows apprentices to complete their apprenticeships with a number of employers.

High – Medium Confirmed Action #8

Pilot an advanced entry apprenticeship model that recruits apprentices who have dropped out of the system and uncertified individuals with relevant experience in the scope of the trades. Candidates are assessed, provided with appropriate advanced standing and placed with employers with the goal of achieving certification in 18–24 months.

Medium Proposed Action #6

Develop a “Blue Seal” Endorsement program that focuses on upgrading Red Seal journeypersons with skills and knowledge in workplace supervision, mentoring, and construction project management.


Increase the number of youth trade program spaces in high school over next two years, with a focus on high-demand LNG-related trades.

High Confirmed Action #4– In Progress

Recruit, hire and deploy an additional 11 Apprenticeship Advisors, five of whom will be focused specifically on the Aboriginal community to recruit and support Aboriginal apprentices.

High – Medium Confirmed Action #5– In Progress

Develop a strategy for leveraging the Canada-BC Job Grant to facilitate the hiring of apprentices by employers directly or indirectly involved in the LNG/natural gas sector.


Develop an ITA communications strategy focused on trades-related employment and training opportunities in the LNG/natural gas sector.

High – Medium Confirmed Action #6– In Progress


APPENDIX 9

StAKeHolder conSUltAtionS

Validation consultations took place during May to August 2014 with:

• ITA Aboriginal Advisory Council

• BC Natural Gas Workforce Committee

• BC LNG Alliance members and with individual proponents

• Other LNG industry stakeholders

www.itabc.ca

Industry Training Authority800 – 8100 Granville Avenue, Richmond, BC V6Y 3T6

t 778.328.8700 tf (in BC) 1.866.660.6011 f 778.328.8701 e [email protected]

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An A ction pl An for lng tr Ade S tr Aining · 2020. 8. 26. · 2 AN ACTION PLAN FOR LNG TRADES...

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