B.C. declares November apprenticeship recognition month

VICTORIA — B.C. has declared November apprenticeship recognition month for the fourth year in a row to celebrate skilled trades across the province.

“With more than 85,000 new job openings in the trades over the next decade, we are making sure that apprentices have the supports they need to get in-demand, good paying jobs,” said Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training Anne Kang in a press release.

November will be dedicated to “celebrating and acknowledging the contribution and value of apprentices, employer sponsors, youth program participants throughout B.C., and raising awareness of the benefits of a career in the skilled trades,” the release states.

There are 15 post-secondary institutions offering more than 70 technical training trades programs across B.C. The Industry Training Authority (ITA) funds roughly 27,000 apprenticeship and foundation training seats annually and works with more than 10,000 employer sponsors.

The ITA will soon be replaced by SkilledTradesBC as part of the Province’s Skilled Trades BC Act, passed in spring 2022. The new organization will focus on supporting apprentices and trainees.