April 6, 2009

BC Industry Training Authority takes on transport-related apprenticeship programs

RICHARD GILBERT

Staff Writer

The BC Industry Training Authority (ITA) has established a new training organization for the transportation industry with a mandate to deliver apprenticeship programs to serve road building and heavy construction.

“Ultimately, the way I see it is, industry is looking for skilled workers and there are a number of people that are being underutilized,” said Russel Robertson, CEO for the Transportation Career Development Association.

“We are developing tools to enable workers to be qualified and enable mobility between sectors. For example, the construction industry could use workers from the forestry industry, who have experience working on graders and back hoes.”

The association, which was approved by the ITA in June 2008, will assume responsibility for transportation-related industry training programs in B.C.

It is different from the majority of industry training organizations because it spans different sectors.

“The road builders have been working for three to four years to set up an ITO (Industry Training Organization) to get involved with training for apprentices,” said Jack Davidson, president of the B.C. Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association.

“During that time we have established four apprenticeship training programs that were brand new to the industry and done some innovative stuff such as training apprentices at the job site.”

The Road Builders set up a heavy equipment operator program and it was shared with road builders across Canada, so that a common standard could be established for inter-provincial Red Seal approval.

They have also gone through a pilot program for an asphalt lay down technician.

Davidson said the road builders made several applications to the ITA for an ITO.

“In the end they told us we were not big enough,” he said.

“So they sort of mandated a coalition of industries that is connected through transportation. We are one of the partners in this.”

In particular, the Transportation Career Development Association, which is also calling itself transCDA, is responsible for training programs that meet the needs of a cross-sectoral group of employers, also including coastal marine carriers, trucking and transit.

The association is putting together a governance model.

They are currently in discussions with associations and employers in the aircraft and some crane occupations to work together.

“Our whole intent is to develop and maintain programs to make sure that industry has the right skills at the right time,” said Robertson.

“We work with industry and do demographic analysis to see which programs will be in demand and identify where there is demand for skills in the workplace.”

For the fiscal year 2009/10, Robertson is upgrading some high participation programs including commercial transport mechanic; heavy duty mechanic; diesel engine mechanic; and trailer mechanic.

“These programs are used by the construction industry and they share common competencies,” he explained.

“These programs are long overdue for revision and we are relying extensively on industry consultations to determine current skill sets.”

A program for heavy equipment operators is a pilot project this year.

A program for a utility grade person program was developed in partnership with municipalities and will soon be another pilot project. This program is for municipal workers and will train apprentices how to lay cable, glass fibre optics, sewer, water and gas lines.

The association is looking for a training provider, capable of delivering the program.

“The technology in laying pipe in the ground around municipalities is changing so fast and now you have different composites pipe material, which have special joints,” he explained.

“You are not just soldering cast iron pipe anymore. It requires different technical skills to connect them and put them in properly. We will be offering courses either this summer or this fall.”

Another apprenticeship program that will be offered soon will cater to foreman and supervisors to help them make the first step into a supervisory role.

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