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BC Construction Assoc. offers grants for hiring apprentices
BC Construction Association offers grants to support hiring apprentices
B.C. construction companies can now receive up to $40,000 in grants to help cover the costs of hiring and training apprentices. Glacier Media file photo
Construction employers can access up to $40,000 to offset costs of hiring and training apprentices.
Citizen staff Employers in the B.C. construction industry can now get grants of up to $40,000 to help cover the costs of hiring and training first-year apprentices. In September, the BC Construction Association announced it would provide grants of $5,000 for each new first-year apprentice registered in one of 39 Red Seal trades. The grant doubles to $10,000 if the worker self-reports as a woman, new Canadian, LGBTQ2S+, Indigenous, a person with a disability, or a visible minority. Companies can receive a maximum of $40,000 in grants, over the two years of the program. “Since the funding announcement in August, nearly 150 contractors have already signed up to be notified as soon as we are open,” association president Chris Atchison said. “In this first phase, we’re encouraging employers to access the funds by promoting their best labourers into first-year apprenticeship positions. It’s a valuable opportunity for a deserving employee and faster than finding and hiring brand new talent. We encourage everyone to take advantage of these substantial financial incentives.” B.C.’s construction industry is roughly 95 per cent male and faces a shortage of skilled workers during a period of high demand, according to information release by the association. Most construction companies are small – 90 per cent employee 20 or fewer workers. The program is funded by the federal Apprenticeship Service, which provided $21 million to the BC Construction Association to deliver to the funding to employers. Several other organizations across B.C. and Canada have received similar funding, but companies can only register with one of them. “We’ll have a big talent pool for employers to tap for new hires because we span the province with our workforce development programs, are promoting our apprenticeship drive on every job-search platform and are mounting a major consumer campaign called Builders Life that will change the trades conversation to attract new talent,” program manager Linda Ryan said. For more information about the program, go online to: https://bccassn.com/ apprenticeship-services/.
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