VICTORIA – The British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) has completed delivery ahead of schedule of $15.725 million to the Apprenticeship Services workforce development program, surpassing its funding objective by $2.28 million.
The program is financed through the federal government’s Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy’s Apprenticeship Service and employers who registered up to four first-year apprentices in BCCA’s Apprenticeship Services program could qualify to earn up to $40,000 in cash incentives over two years, a release said.
“I’m proud of the team at BCCA who delivered the Apprenticeship Services project ahead of schedule and under budget, far exceeding important targets set by the federal government,” BCCA president Chris Atchison said in a statement..
“In addition, we were able to transfer $780,000 from our operational budget into the program as a result of our team’s efficiencies, to the direct benefit of B.C.’s construction employers and apprentices. Canadian taxpayers deserve nothing less than the efficient and reliable stewardship exemplified by BCCA’s outstanding management of programs like Apprenticeship Services.”
Since launching in September 2022, the financial incentives offered through Apprenticeship Services have resulted in the hiring and registering of 2,075 apprentices in 37 Red Seal trades and sent payments to more than 1,020 qualified employers, the release said.
The initiative, which spans the province, was delivered to small and medium-sized construction employers and is intended to assist those employers to overcome financial barriers in hiring and training first-year apprentices.
“At a time when B.C.’s construction industry faces critical workforce shortages, BCCA has stepped up to support employers through workforce development programs like Apprenticeship Services. We’re doing our part to mitigate the ongoing workforce shortage in construction. The current and foreseeable gap is too large to meet B.C.’s very real housing and infrastructure need,” Atchison said.
BCCA’s Apprenticeship Services program formally closes on March 31, the release said.
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