Incentives for hiring 1st Year Apprentices In Around Town

September 1, 2022

Your Weekly Construction Briefing

The BC Construction Association (BCCA) has received over $21M in funding from the Government of Canada’s Apprenticeship Service to enable small and medium sized employers in BC’s construction industry to hire and register first-year apprentices.  This announcement means that BC construction industry employers can receive financial incentives for registering new or existing employees as first-year apprentices in 39 Red Seal Trades.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Knowledge Keeper Florence Dick from the Songhees Nation, Honourable Kamal Khera, Canada’s Minister of Seniors, Linda Ryan, BCCA Apprenticeship Services Program Manager, Chris Atchison, BCCA President announce new funding for apprenticeships. (Image provided by BC Construction Association)

Participating employers will receive $5,000 for hiring or registering any worker. An additional $5,000 will be received if the worker self-reports as a woman, new Canadian, LGBTQ+, Indigenous, a person with a disability, or a visible minority, contributing to workforce diversity. Employers can receive payments for up to two first-year apprenticeship positions per year during the two years of the drive, for a maximum of $40,000 per employer. 

Employers can spend the financial incentives at their discretion. For example: hiring bonuses, gear and work apparel, childcare costs, offsetting business taxes, offsetting costs of mandatory sick leave, training and mentoring, raises for field or office staff, safety equipment, or new technology. As part of the service to employers, BCCA will provide culture training via its Builders Code program, and mentorship support through its new Building Builders initiative. 

This initiative will contribute to BC’s construction industry which is approximately 95 per cent male and continues to face a skilled workforce shortage during a time of high demand for construction services.

Employers can find more information and sign up for a pre-launch employer list at bccassn.com/apprenticeship-services.

For more information, contact:

BC Construction Association
Greg Descantes
Phone: 604.417.1379
gdescantes@pacegroup.com

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