The Canadian branch of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters has received funding to support small and medium-sized enterprises to hire on apprentices.

 

The $37 million is specifically supporting construction and manufacturing trades over the next two years by enabling approved SMEs to hire up to two first-year apprentices per year.

 

Jodie Lucas, who’s overseeing the Apprentice Service Program for UBC Canadian District, says the program should help to address labour shortages in the skilled trades sectors across the country:

 

“We are actually hoping that this makes quite a big dent. We have a goal of 865 SMEs per year for the next two years and so we’re really hoping to connect with that many employers and then that doubles the amount of apprentices going to work. We are really hoping that this reduces the barriers between the SMEs and the apprentices.”  

 

She adds this would also help reduce employment barriers for apprentices in Northern Manitoba.

 

To learn more about the Apprentice Service Program, hear the full interview with Lucas on Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10 this afternoon.