Manitoba to enhance apprenticeship system via new commission

WINNIPEG — A newly formed Apprenticeship Futures Commission will engage the public and industry to make recommendations on enhancing and expanding Manitoba’s apprenticeship and certification system to better meet the needs of the province’s labor market, Competitiveness, Training and Trade Minister Jim Rondeau announced recently.

Leonard Harapiak has been appointed chair of the commission which is comprised of 12 members from key strategic sectors such as transportation services, construction, manufacturing, and northern industry.

“The commission’s work will build upon the province’s current accomplishments, with a 52 percent increase in apprenticeships since 1999,” said Rondeau. “However, as the availability of skilled labor remains critical to maintaining growth, we must find new ways to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the system to attract more workers to the provincial apprenticeship program.”

The input of various stakeholders will create employment opportunities for skilled trades people through a renewed apprenticeship training system, said Harapiak. The project will focus on flexibility, enhancement and expansion of the existing systems and make recommendations intended to achieve improvements to and expansion of the apprenticeship system and its service delivery mechanisms.

Rondeau noted that while Manitoba does a good job training and certifying skilled tradespeople, every province in the country is feeling increased labor market pressures.

Timelines are short as the Apprenticeship Futures Commission will wrap up its consultations by the end of November. Members are encouraged to make submissions directly to the Commission either online (link below) or at one of the public consultations.