Apprenticeship in ACTION
Sask Apprenticeship Sask Apprenticeship @SKApprentice Fall 2016
www.saskapprenticeship.ca
Chantel McCuaig ..................................................1 Jeff Ritter...................................................................2 Andrew Bell - Bruce Pearce Scholarship........4 Awards Celebrate Achievement.......................5 Apprentice Fee Update.......................................6 Harmonization Update........................................7
1.877.363.0536
SYA Scholarships Awarded to 100.............8 Skilled Trades and Technology Week........9 Canada Apprentices e-Panel..................... 10 Board of Directors......................................... 11 SYA Industry Scholarship Sponsors........ 12
Chantel McCuaig
From Fossils to Fabrication
Chantel McCuaig received the Wendy Davis Memorial Scholarship at the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission’s Annual Apprenticeship Awards held in October at the Queensbury Convention Centre in Regina. The Award is given to the female who received the highest mark on the interprovincial journeyperson certification exam among traditionally male trades. As successful as McCuaig is in her chosen trade, she didn’t always want to be a welder. She once pursued a career as a paleontologist. (Photo: SATCC Chief Operating Officer Loreena Spilsted (right), presented Chantel McCuaig with the Wendy Davis Memorial Scholarship.)
continued on page 3
Fall 2016
From the desk of
JEFF RITTER
The fall is one of the busiest times for the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC)—between meeting with the trade boards, finalizing the annual report, the Apprenticeship Awards, and Skilled Trades and Technology Week. With the holiday season—and the new year—quickly approaching, I’d like to reflect on the activities that have kept us occupied, and often on the road, over the past few months. One hundred students from 66 Saskatchewan communities received Saskatchewan Youth Apprenticeship Industry Scholarships this year. A news release highlighting the scholarship, winners and donors was issued in September. Thank-you to all of the funders who help sustain this scholarship, including our most recent donors: the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, Local 179, Tarpon Energy Services and the Saskatchewan Construction Association. A major thread running through this issue of Apprenticeship in Action is the Apprenticeship Awards. The Awards took place Friday, October 21 at the Queensbury Convention Centre in Regina. It was the largest event we’ve ever held for a number of reasons. We welcomed more than 400 guests. More corporate sponsors than ever before supported the Awards, including two event partners, the CODC Construction Opportunities Development Council and the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, Local 179. We even had a representative come all the way from Ottawa on behalf of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum to attend the event. The Awards showcased many terrific partnerships, and we appreciate all of the employers, journeypersons, family members and technical training providers who joined us.
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At the request of the SATCC and Skills Canada Saskatchewan, the Government of Saskatchewan proclaimed Monday, October 31 until Sunday, November 6 as Skilled Trades and Technology Week in Saskatchewan. The week, which aims to raise awareness among young people of the opportunities available in the skilled trades, kicked off with a launch event October 31 at the Saskatoon Trades and Skills Centre. Formal presentations were followed by a bricklaying demonstration and a chance to tour the house being built inside the Centre’s PotashCorp Learning Lab. The 2015-16 Annual Report was tabled Monday, October 31 in the legislature. This report provides an overview of the SATCC’s achievements on the goals and targets laid out in the 2015-16 Business Plan. The annual report highlights the 2015-16 fiscal year, from July 1, 2015 until June 30, 2016. And finally, we wrapped up our annual trade board meetings at the beginning of November. These Trade Board meetings are a valuable way for our Senior Management Team to connect face-to-face with people in the industry, and are one of the most useful activities we participate in during the year. Our apprenticeship system is industry-driven and these meetings help ensure that industry’s needs are met moving forward. Readers, enjoy the upcoming holiday season and have a happy New Year!
www.saskapprenticeship.ca
Profile
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continued...
She lives in Saskatoon now, and works at Tremcar, but McCuaig, 31, grew up in Eastend, a small, southwestern Saskatchewan community perhaps best known for its famous, fossilized resident, Scotty the T. rex, a skeleton discovered in the bone-rich valleys surrounding the town. In fact, McCuaig found her first fossil—a small, aquatic creature called an ammonite— when she was five years old playing outside on her family farm. That’s what hooked her. She followed her passion to the University of Saskatchewan, where she studied paleobiology, an interdisciplinary major covering biology, archaeology and geology. She attended university for four years, and even snagged a summer position at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. While working alongside other paleontologists, though, she discovered that the job required much more than a desire to dig for fossils. “The job didn’t have the dazzle I thought it would have,” she said. So she switched her career focus completely, and decided to become a welder. Her father, a welder himself, influenced her career decision and indentured her as an apprentice through his business, Roper’s Welding, located in Eastend. She eventually secured a position with Tremcar, where she says she works with talented welders, many of whom she believes will be successful journeypersons in the near future. “There are a couple people here who I’ve convinced to challenge the journeyperson
“Success in the skilled trades comes down to hard work, and women who are interested in the trades shouldn’t feel intimidated. Show the boys how it’s done... As long as you work hard, you’ll make it.” Chantel McCuaig exam,” McCuaig said. “I’m going to help them with the theory part of it.” McCuaig said that her journeyperson exam went as smoothly as it possibly could have, although she was still nervous waiting to hear her results. In the end, she acknowledged that her hard work and commitment, plus the support of an “amazing instructor,” John Coleshaw, with Saskatchewan Polytechnic in Saskatoon, contributed to her success. McCuaig enjoys her job, particularly the variety of her work at Tremcar. “It’s whatever rolls in that day. That’s what I like about it. It’s never the same thing all the time. It’s different every day.” Success in the skilled trades, she said, comes down to hard work, and women who are interested in the trades shouldn’t feel intimidated. “Show the boys how it’s done… As long as you work hard, you’ll make it.”
Fall 2016
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Andrew Bell Awarded the Bruce Pearce Scholarship At the Annual Apprenticeship Awards, 34 new journeypersons were recognized for their outstanding achievements. Andrew Bell, an Automotive Service Technician from Outlook, was among them. We talked to Andrew about his journey through apprenticeship, and what it meant to receive the Bruce Pearce Scholarship.
What was your next step?
Why skilled trades?
The Bruce Pearce Scholarship is given to acknowledge the SYA graduate with the highest mark on the journeyperson exam among all the trades. It was an honour to receive the award, especially because his family was at the ceremony. I got a chance to meet them, and I learned that Bruce and I had a lot in common, especially motorcycles.
I’ve been around engines since I was a kid, tinkering on dirt bikes, snowmobiles, anything motorized. When people in a small town hear you’re good at something, they start to ask if you can fix their stuff. I was already doing some of that when I decided to try the Saskatchewan Youth Apprenticeship (SYA) Program in Grade 12. Was the SYA helpful?
Yes, because it gave me a chance to try a bit of everything—automotive, carpentry, electrical, welding. It also fast-tracks your education. You get a certain number of hours of trade time credit for every SYA level you complete.
I got hired at an automotive shop in Outlook the week I graduated high school. They agreed to take me on as an Automotive Service Technician apprentice, and I enrolled with SATCC. I earned my journeyperson’s in October 2015— and got a nice bump in pay right away. Tell us about the award.
What did you like about the training?
There are people from all walks of life going to school with you, so it’s not hard to find a good group of friends. There are also opportunities that come up while you’re there. I got invitations to work at a couple of other shops, and I also learned that when you do well in the school
portion, they take an interest in you maybe someday teaching. Do you still take training?
Getting your journeyperson’s is just the tip of the iceberg. The automotive industry is always introducing new models, so there’s always more to learn, always new courses being offered. I try to stay updated, and I’ve earned extra certificates in specific areas. I think that can help open doors, and the extra certificates look good on your resume. What’s the best thing about your job?
I like that there’s always something new to learn. I like a challenge, especially after I figure it out—that gives me a good feeling at the end of the day. (Article reproduced with permission from Relevance Magazine.)
Above: Andrew Bell at work. Bottom Left: Merle and Art Pearce (left), along with Paul Blankestijn, Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator (right), present Andrew Bell from Outlook with the Bruce Pearce Memorial Scholarship.
www.saskapprenticeship.ca
Awards Celebrate Outstanding Achievement Thirty-four new journeypersons were recognized for their outstanding achievements at the 2016 Apprenticeship Awards ceremony hosted by the SATCC in Regina Friday, October 21. These apprentices achieved the highest mark on the journeyperson certification exam in their designated trade between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016. To achieve the highest mark on a journeyperson certification exam requires hard work and unwavering dedication. More than 430 people attended this year’s sixteenth Apprenticeship Awards. In addition to celebrating the accomplishments of new journeypersons and other individuals who made significant contributions to the skilled trades, the awards also acknowledge that partnerships between the Commission, the Government of Saskatchewan, technical training providers, trade boards, employers and apprentices are key to sustaining a successful apprenticeship system. Trade board members, technical training providers, employers and Skills Canada Saskatchewan Competition gold medal winners also received awards for their achievements in the skilled trades. In addition, 11 partner organizations presented their own scholarships and awards to apprentices and journeypersons. The Apprenticeship Awards receive financial support each year from many event partners. The SATCC would like to say thank you once again to the following 2016 sponsors:
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EVENT PARTNERS: CODC Construction Opportunities Development Council United Associations of Plumbers and Pipefitters, Local 179 PLATINUM: Saskatchewan Construction Association GOLD: Alliance Energy Canadian Apprenticeship Forum PCL Construction Prairie Arctic Trades Training Centre RBC Royal Bank of Canada SILVER: Carlton Trail Regional College Coram Construction MGM Communications Regina Trades and Skills Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association Saskatchewan Mining Association Saskatchewan Polytechnic Faculty Association Tourism Saskatchewan Westridge Construction Western Trade Training Institute
SAVE THE DATE!!
2017 Apprenticeship Awards - Friday, October 27, 2017 - Conexus Arts Centre
Fall 2016
Apprentice Fee Update
The SATCC is committed to maintaining a responsive, industry-driven apprenticeship certification system that meets labour market needs. In order to meet this mandate, Saskatchewan Apprenticeship is raising apprenticeship fees. These increases will allow us to continue providing our apprentices with timely, high-quality technical training, and will help ensure the long-term sustainability of the apprenticeship and certification system of training in Saskatchewan. Apprenticeship training and trade certification remains one of our province’s most cost-effective post-secondary training options. Apprentices do the majority of their learning on the job while earning a good wage. And apprenticeship leads to a rewarding, well-paying career in the skilled trades. Apprentices spend only 15 per cent of their time in technical training, and they only pay tuition fees while attending training. Affected Fees:
Tuition fees are increasing by $10 per week, from $85 per week to $95 per week for most programs. Apprentices usually attend eight weeks of technical training over a course of four years. Technical training will now cost approximately $760 per year with the increase. Previously, apprentices paid about $680 per year. So the increase works out to about $80 more per year. Apprenticeship registration fees have increased from $150 to $175. Access to the Accuplacer /
MyFoundationsLab will cost $25 per person rather than being provided for free. Why:
In order to ensure that our apprentices continue to have access to timely, quality training, we need to adjust fees from time to time. Saskatchewan Apprenticeship contracts a variety of post-secondary institutions, including Saskatchewan Polytechnic, to provide training. Training costs continue to increase over time. Participants in Accuplacer / MyFoundationsLab have been charged $0 since it started as a pilot program. However, many people didn’t fully complete the program. By requiring a modest $25 fee for Accuplacer / MyFoundationsLab, it is hoped that participants will have an incentive to successfully finish the Accuplacer / MyFoundationsLab program and become apprentices. When:
New tuition fees are effective January 1, 2017. New apprenticeship registration fees and Accuplacer / MyFoundationsLab fees are effective October 1, 2016. Who Does It Affect?
These fees impact apprentices— those who are attending technical training, those who are registering with us, and those who need to access Accuplacer / MyFoundationsLab.
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Financial Assistance Available:
Apprentices are eligible for Employment Insurance while attending training. The Provincial Training Allowance offered through the Ministry of the Economy while attending technical training is available for those who qualify. The Federal Apprenticeship Incentive Grants in Red Seal trades offer $1,000 for successful completion of Level 1 training, $1,000 for successful completion of Level 2 training, and a $2,000 Apprenticeship Completion Grant for achieving journeyperson certification. There is also a Federal Tradesperson’s Tools Deduction of up to $500 annually to help cover the cost of new tools The Saskatchewan Graduate Retention Program provides a tax credit on tuition fees paid by eligible graduates who live in Saskatchewan and who file a Saskatchewan income tax return. Grade 12 graduates are also eligible for the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship, which provides up to $500 per year (to a lifetime maximum of $2,000) that may be applied to tuition costs within Saskatchewan. The Canada Apprentice Loan provides apprentices registered in Red Seal trades with access to up to $4,000 interest-free for each level of technical training For more information, please visit saskapprenticeship.ca, call 1-877363-0536 or email Apprenticeship@ gov.sk.ca.
www.saskapprenticeship.ca
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Tap into your future in the trades with Youth Apprenticeship.
Harmonization Update 1-877-363-0536 saskapprenticeship.ca
The Harmonization Taskforce is moving forward on the work of aligning Phase Three trades, which are scheduled to implement Level 1 technical training by September 2018. Five trades make up Phase Three of the work plan—Boilermaker, Concrete Finisher, Landscape Horticulturist, Sheet Metal Worker and Sprinkler System Installer. In September, the Red Flag Action Report for the Boilermaker trade was submitted by the provinces and territories. Comments from the jurisdictions helped inform the pan-Canadian webinar conducted October 19 and recommendations have been submitted to the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship for final approval. At the beginning of October, subject matter experts for the Sprinkler System Installer trade met in Ottawa to develop the Red Seal Occupational Standard
(RSOS). The RSOS sets the standard and is a key document for each Red Seal trade. (It replaces the National Occupational Analyses (NOA)). Journeyperson certification exams—also known, in Red Seal trades, as Interprovincial Red Seal examinations—are based on the RSOS. Provincial and territorial apprenticeship training programs are also often built upon the RSOS. A curriculum sequencing workshop was held on October 7 to develop recommendations for the sequencing of technical training for Sprinkler System Installer. Recommendations were compiled and sent to jurisdictions to review at the end of October. Provincial / Territorial feedback, using the Red Flag Report, is due December 2.
Upcoming curriculum sequencing workshops in Ottawa include Concrete Finisher (November 2016), Landscape Horticulturist (January 2017) and Sheet Metal Worker (February / March 2017).
Fall 2016
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SYA Scholarships Awarded to 100 Youth Graduates One hundred high school graduates from 66 Saskatchewan communities received Saskatchewan Youth Apprenticeship (SYA) Industry Scholarships in 2016. The $1,000 scholarship is unique because it can only be redeemed within two years of graduation after a recipient has demonstrated they are actively pursuing a career in the skilled trades—either by apprenticing with an employer and completing Level 1 technical training, or completing a pre-employment program. The scholarship, launched in 2009-10, is administered and overseen by the SATCC, but the bulk of the funds are provided by industry partners and the Government of Saskatchewan. To date, 45 industry donors have invested $680,000 into the fund. High schools that participate in the SYA Program are asked every year to nominate at least one outstanding graduating student who has completed the SYA Program, and is working to build a career for themselves in the trades. Graduates of programs administered by Campus Regina Public, the Regina and District Industry Education Council, the Regina Trades and Skills Centre, and the Saskatoon Industry Education Council, also receive scholarships.
SATCC, their registration fee and first level of technical training are waived, and they receive 300 trade time hours. They also have a chance at receiving an SYA Industry Scholarship. Currently, there are more than 300 schools registered in the SYA Program and almost 3,300 students participating. In 2015-16, more than 620 students completed the program. Since the SYA Program’s inception, nearly 5,900 students have completed it. Of those who completed, more than 1,000 have registered as apprentices and more than 300 have achieved journeyperson status. To view the full list of winners, please see the backgrounder to the news release issued in September. If you are interested in contributing to the SYA Industry Scholarship, please see the scholarship brochure .
The SYA Program, an initiative started in 2006-07, encourages high school students to explore opportunities in the skilled trades through research and hands-on learning. To successfully complete the program, students must finish 12 challenges that range from taking a Practical and Applied Arts course and assembling a portfolio of work samples, to interviewing a journeyperson and attending a career fair. Graduates who complete the program receive big benefits. When they register as an apprentice with the
Take the Saskatchewan Graduate Outcome Survey here.
www.saskapprenticeship.ca
Skilled Trades and Technology Week
The Government of Saskatchewan proclaimed October 31 to November 6 as Skilled Trades and Technology Week. This proclamation aligned with National Skilled Trades and Technology Week, and celebrations across the country.
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The week kicked off with a launch event at the Saskatoon Trades and Skills Centre. Saskatoon Fairview MLA Jennifer Campeau, SATCC Chief Executive Officer Jeff Ritter, SATCC Chief Operating Officer and Skills Canada Saskatchewan Chair Loreena Spilsted, and Saskatoon Trades and Skills Centre Executive Director and Skills Canada Saskatchewan Vice-Chair Donavon Elliott delivered remarks at the event. After the formal presentations, Ms. Campeau, as well as SATCC Field Services Director Andrew McGee and Skills Canada Saskatchewan Executive Director Al Gabert participated in a bricklaying demonstration. Students also demonstrated their bricklaying skills, and guests were able to tour the house being built inside the Saskatoon Trades and Skills Centre’s PotashCorp Learning Lab. Schools were encouraged to participate in the week by organizing activities and try-a-trade events, and inviting speakers into their classrooms to discuss the benefits of apprenticeship and a career in the skilled trades.
The goal of Skilled Trades and Technology Week is to raise the profile of careers in the skilled trades and technology sectors, which is what the SATCC and Skills Canada Saskatchewan strive to do as part of their strategic plans, and why the organizations jointly request the week’s proclamation every year.
Provincial Skills Competition April 6 & 7, 2017 in Saskatoon, SK CNH Training Centre - 230 Marquis Drive, Saskatoon, SK Saskatchewan Polytechnic – Saskatoon Campus
1130 Idylwyld Dr N, Saskatoon, SK
To learn more, you can visit skillscanadasask. com or read the news release.
Fall 2016
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Apprentices in Canada ePanel Are you an apprentice? Come voice your opinion and share your experiences. Join this free online panel to: 타 Share your views with industry 타 Talk about your experiences on topics such as employer-sponsors and onthe-job training 타 Influence public policy on the skilled trades 타 Suggest supports and resources that would help other apprentices be successful You will be asked to complete a few short surveys each year. Survey respondents are eligible to win gifts such as free iPads. If you are an apprentice and would like to join this ePanel, please visit apprenticesincanada.com. All responses will be confidential and your privacy will be protected. The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum is a not-for-profit organization that promotes apprenticeship training across Canada. For more information, please contact Emily Arrowsmith at emily@caf-fca.org.
www.saskapprenticeship.ca
NEWS BITES
at the SATCC
NATIONALLY
2015-16 Annual Report
FIATT
The 2015-16 SATCC Annual Report was tabled in the Saskatchewan Legislature on Monday, October 31, 2016. Key statistics include: Newly Registered Apprentices
2,611
Completion of Apprenticeship Certificates
1,657
Journeyperson Certificates
1,971
Registered Apprentices at June 30, 2016
9,437
Apprentices Receiving Services From SATCC
15,691
Employers with Registered Apprentices
2,689
Apprentices Receiving Technical Training*
6,834
Technical Training Fill Rate
98.7%
* Includes apprentices who received upgrading training and training out of province
Forms The apprentice and employer forms change from time to time, so please be sure to always refer to the SATCC website for all current forms. The most recent forms to change were Forms A and B. Also recently updated were the Saskatchewan Youth Apprenticeship (SYA) program forms used by high school teachers.
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refrigeration and air conditioning technicians, steamfitter/pipefitters, truck and transport mechanics and welders.
Apprentices report a number of common barriers to block-release training, including financial hardship, inaccessibility in rural and remote locations, inconvenient scheduling and few training opportunities in low-volume trades. The Government of Canada’s Flexibility and Innovation in Apprenticeship Technical Training (FIATT) program is funding pilot projects designed to overcome these challenges. Technical trainers are experimenting with online learning, up-front training, mobile labs and simulator training.
The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum is helping connect the pilots and will track the impact on apprentice learning and employer commitment to apprenticeship training. Key findings will be shared at events over the next two years. For more information on each pilot and links to technical trainer websites, click here. (Source: Canadian Apprenticeship Forum website, News and Events.)
Ten technical trainers are implementing pilots: Saskatchewan Polytechnic, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Collège Boréal, New Brunswick Community College, Nova Scotia Community College, Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario, Portage College, Red Deer College, Thompson Rivers University School of Trades and Technology and Yukon College/ Aurora College. They are testing new models with automotive service technicians, carpenters, construction and industrial electricians, crane operators, gasfitters, heavy-duty equipment technicians, oil heat system technicians, plumbers,
JOURNEYPERSON
Get a leg up on the competition. TRADESPERSON
1-877-363-0536 saskapprenticeship.ca
Get your tradespeople certified today; build a more reputable workforce for tomorrow.
Fall 2016
BOARD OF DIRECTORS As of October 26, 2016: Commission Board Chairperson Drew Tiefenbach Commission Board Vice-Chairperson Bryan Leier Agriculture, Tourism & Service Sector Joe Kleinsasser - Employer Karen Zunti - Employee Construction Sector Jeff Sweet - Employee Wayne Worrall - Employee vacant - Employee Doug Christie - Employer Rhonda Hipperson - Employer Drew Tiefenbach - Employer Production and Maintenance Sector Lorne Andersen - Employee Brian Marshall - Employer Motive Repair Sector Tim Earing - Employee Bryan Leier - Employer Other Doug Mitchell - Persons with Disabilities Leonard Manitoken - First Nations Brett Vandale - MĂŠtis Roxanne Ecker - Women in Trades Al Loke - Northern Saskatchewan Terry Parker - Saskatchewan Polytechnic Alastair MacFadden - Ministry of the Economy Brett Waytuck - Ministry of Education
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
Call (306) 787-0187 or email rs-atccnewsltr@gov.sk.ca
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SYA Industry Scholarship Sponsors
The sponsors of the SYA Industry Scholarship provide many opportunities for Saskatchewan youth. We recognize our donors below. Allan Construction AIM Electric Ltd. Alliance Energy All-Rite Plumbing and Heating Ltd. Breck Scaffold Solutions (2009) CAF-FCA Conference Canada West Equipment Dealers Association Canadian Welding Association - Regina Chapter Christie Mechanical ltd. CLR Construction Labour Relations of Saskatchewan Inc. EECOL Electric Ensign Energy Service Inc. General Contractors Association of Saskatchewan Inc. GESCAN Division of Sonepar Canada Inc. Highlander Crane Hipperson Construction Husky Energy Ltd. Iron Workers, Local 771 K+S Potash Canada GP Korpan Tractor and Parts Merit Contractors Association Inc. Moose Jaw Construction Association Mosaic Canada ULC Pagnotta Industries Inc. PCL Construction Management Inc. Peak Mechanical Partnership Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. Prairie Mines & Royalty Ltd. Prince Albert Construction Association Pro-Western Mechanical Ltd. RNF Ventures Ltd. Saskatchewan Construction Association Saskatchewan Provincial Building Trades & Construction Trades Council Sheet Metal Workers Local 296 Saskatchewan South Country Equipment Sun Electric (1975) Ltd Tarpon Energy Services The Taylor Automotive Group Thyssen Mining Construction of Canada Ltd. United Association of Plumbers & Pipefitters Local #179 Wallace Construction Specialties Ltd. Westridge Construction Ltd. W. Hunter Electric (2005) Ltd. Wright Construction Western Inc. Yara Belle Plaine Inc.
Become a sponsor!
Email rs-atccnewsltr@gov.sk.ca