BCCA Delivers $15.725 Million in Federal Funding to BC’s Construction Industry
The BC Construction Association (BCCA) recently announced that it has completed delivery, ahead of schedule and within budget, on a construction trade apprenticeship drive in British Columbia, surpassing its funding objective by 2.280 million.
The Apprenticeship Services workforce development program was financed through the Government of Canada’s Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy’s Apprenticeship Service. 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.
Since its launch in September 2022, the financial incentives offered through Apprenticeship Services have resulted in the hiring and registering of 2075 apprentices in 37 Red Seal trades, and sent payments to over 1020 qualified employers.
Through BCCA’s Apprenticeship Services program, more than $15.725 million has been injected into the BC economy.
“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. 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 BC’s construction employers and apprentices,” said BCCA president Chris Atchison. “Canadian taxpayers deserve nothing less than the efficient and reliable stewardship exemplified by BCCA’s outstanding management of programs like Apprenticeship Services.”
BCCA surpassed important funder targets, including in the amount of financial incentives paid and the diversity of apprentices. Apprenticeship Services also drove program participants to key industry partners including SkilledTradesBC.
The province-wide initiative was delivered to small- and medium-sized construction employers to help them overcome the financial barriers inherent in hiring and training first-year apprentices. In-demand trades such as electrical and plumbing benefitted from financial incentives.
“At a time when BC’s construction industry faces critical workforce shortages, BCCA has stepped up to support employers through workforce development programs like Apprenticeship Services,” said Atchison. “We’re doing our part to mitigate the ongoing workforce shortage in construction. The current and foreseeable gap is too large to meet BC’s very real housing and infrastructure needs.”
A total of 1338 Apprenticeship Services program employers became signatories of the Builders Code Acceptable Worksite Culture Pledge, as part of a BCCA support and training program designed to improve worksite culture, increase worker attraction and retention, and eliminate harassment, bullying, hazing and discrimination.
Continuing to improve and strengthen diversity within BC’s construction industry was a key component of funding objectives and continues to be a goal of the BCCA.