Apprentices in British Columbia and New Brunswick will now be able to seamlessly work in either province, thanks to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by Premiers Christy Clark and David Alward at the Council of the Federation meeting today in Charlottetown.

Starting this fall, apprentices in British Columbia and New Brunswick will be able to seamlessly work in either province to achieve their Red Seal certificate, and move freely between the two provinces to take advantage of job opportunities.

The MOU is meant to address immediate and future demand for skilled labour in both B.C. and N.B., and ideally contribute to the development of a national apprenticeship mobility strategy. 

Differences in provincial and territorial apprenticeship certification requirements mean that for some Canadian apprentices, gaining the skills training required to achieve their Red Seal certificate can be a challenge if they are unable to move to where the jobs are. 

These differences also make it difficult for employers, particularly those who have operations in multiple Canadian jurisdictions, to employ apprentices from other parts of Canada to meet their short-term labour needs. 

The MOU between B.C. and N.B will remove these barriers, and benefit both provinces by:

• Supporting B.C.’s labour needs, beyond the supply of its available workforce, during peak labour demands through the mobility of N.B. apprentices.
• Accelerating the certification of N.B. apprentices in their trades through employment with B.C. employers.

The MOU will be fully implemented by the fall 2014. Apprentices will then be able to move freely between British Columbia and New Brunswick to take advantage of job opportunities, which support their skills training in the trades.

Quotes:

British Columbia Premier Christy Clark -

“B.C. is entering a time of incredible opportunity, not only for British Columbians but for all Canadians. In addition to meeting the needs of employers and apprentices in B.C. and New Brunswick, this agreement will complement the work our province is leading with other provinces and territories to improve labour mobility across the country.”

New Brunswick Premier David Alward -

“With new and emerging opportunities in the construction, oil and gas and forestry sectors on the horizon, this important agreement couldn’t have come at a better time. It also complements a variety of efforts to support apprentices, create jobs and provide employers with the skilled workers they need for current and future generations.”

Media Contacts:

Sam Oliphant
Press Secretary
Office of the Premier
Government of British Columbia
250 952-7252

Media Relations
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour
Government of British Columbia
250 387-2799

Amanda Brown
Communications
Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour
Government of New Brunswick
506 444-3565