B.C. bringing back mandatory certification system for trades workers
The British Columbia government is launching a compulsory skilled trades certification system that it says will strengthen economic recovery, while supporting higher-paying, more stable jobs.
Premier John Horgan says he recognizes that it will be a big change for workers and employers and the transformation won't happen overnight.
The government says certification will happen in phases starting with 10 initial trades from the electrical, mechanical and automotive disciplines, meaning people will be required to be a certified journeyperson or a registered apprentice to work in those areas.
Once a trade has been designated for certification, the province says workers will have at least one year to either register as an apprentice or challenge an exam.
The government is aiming to introduce legislation next spring to support the implementation of the new certification system, with the first changes expected in the electrical and mechanical trades by 2023 and in automotive by 2025.
Advanced Education Minister Anne Kang says recognizing workers' skill through certification will attract more people to the trades amid labour shortages.
“Certification recognizes the professionalism of tradespeople ... and ensures equity-deserving groups and every person who wants a rewarding career in the trades can access the highest level of education and training,” Kang says in a statement.
About 73,000 job openings are expected in the trades in B.C. through to 2029 with about 77 per cent of those replacing retiring workers.
Certification will help fill those roles and “build prestige” around careers in the trades, the province says.
B.C. removed the requirement that tradespeople be certified in 2003, making it the only jurisdiction in Canada without a system for compulsory credentials.
The decision to re-launch certification was based on recommendations from a stakeholder advisory group that includes representatives from industry associations, labour and post-secondary institutions.
A public engagement process happening now through the fall will seek input on key aspects of the change, including how to help current trades workers get certified.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.