SkilledTradesBC Launches Training Programs for Underrepresented Groups in Skilled Trades

📅 1 week ago

SkilledTradesBC is enhancing workforce diversity in the skilled trades by offering targeted training programs for women, Indigenous peoples, and other equity-deserving groups across British Columbia.

SkilledTradesBC (STBC) is taking significant steps to empower underrepresented groups, including women, Indigenous peoples, and other equity-deserving individuals, by providing access to skills development and employment programs in the skilled trades. The organization collaborates with various service providers, training institutions, and Indigenous organizations throughout British Columbia to deliver these essential programs. These initiatives encompass a broad range of services designed to support individuals at different stages of their journey into skilled trades. This includes hands-on trades exploration training, pre-apprenticeship entry-level trades technical training, industry-recognized certification training, as well as mentorship, job coaching, and employment placement services.
According to STBC, there is a pressing need for skilled workers, with over 72,000 job openings anticipated across 15 skilled trades in the next decade. The organization emphasizes that expanding opportunities for women, Indigenous peoples, and other equity-deserving groups is crucial to addressing the province's workforce demands. STBC has outlined four key training programs aimed at fostering equity in the trades sector.
One of these initiatives is the BC Centre for Women in the Trades, which prepares women for various trades occupations within construction and skilled trades. This program guides participants through training, certification, and apprenticeship opportunities, creating a continuous pathway for skill enhancement and career advancement.
Another noteworthy program is the Skilled Trades Employment Program (STEP), launched in partnership with the BC Construction Association. This initiative focuses on filling apprenticeship positions throughout the province. STEP provides participants with job search coaching and support, short-term certificates, soft skills training, and personal resources to ensure they are prepared for employment in the construction sector.
Additionally, the Workplace Alternative Trades Training (WATT) program, developed by the Western Joint Electrical Training Society (WJETS) and the Construction Foundation of BC, fast-tracks participants into pre-employment electrical apprenticeship training. Adrien Livingston, executive director of WJETS, highlights that WATT is designed specifically for equity-priority individuals who encounter barriers to entering electrical trades. This program emphasizes apprenticeship readiness and hands-on skills, ensuring participants gain practical experience that enhances their understanding of the concepts being taught.
Participants in the WATT program receive enhanced hands-on training, which is pivotal for their future employment opportunities. Upon graduation, WATT apprentices are connected with local unions and employers to commence on-the-job training, supported by a dedicated network focused on their success. The facilities offering WATT training are located in cities such as Victoria, Nelson, Kamloops, Prince George, and Terrace, with the program spanning five weeks: two weeks part-time online, followed by two and a half weeks of hands-on training.
The Trade Starters program, offered by the Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society, also plays a vital role in this ecosystem. This program provides trade sampler pre-apprenticeship training specifically for equity-deserving groups, targeting individuals who face barriers to entering the workforce. Trade Starters allows participants to choose one of three learning streams—Electrical, Mechanical, or Automotive trades—through partnerships with B.C. post-secondary institutions including Ace Trades and Technical Institute, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and Vancouver Community College.
The training delivery model for Trade Starters is hybrid, with technical training conducted in person and employability skills training available online. The program encompasses a total of 16 weeks, consisting of eight to ten weeks of occupational training, two to four weeks of soft skills and employability skills training, and four weeks of personalized job support.
As the provincial Crown corporation responsible for overseeing B.C.’s apprenticeship system, STBC collaborates with apprentices, employers, training providers, and community partners to facilitate pathways into skilled trades and apprenticeships. In partnership with the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, STBC also secures federal funding to provide pre-apprenticeship training and skills development specifically for Indigenous peoples, women, and other equity-deserving groups across the province.

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