With the program, province 'will be better positioned to meet the province's significant labour demands in the skilled trades'
Nova Scotia has launched a new incentive program to recognize the efforts of journeypersons mentoring apprentices.
The Journeyperson Financial Incentive Program provides up to $2,500 to journeypersons actively mentoring apprentices.
With the program, the provincial government hopes to increase the number of apprentices becoming certified journeypersons.
“Journeypersons are the primary trainers within the apprenticeship program and play a vital role in supporting and developing the skills and knowledge of apprentices,” said Jill Balser, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration. “This program is a part of how we are building capacity to support apprentices to become certified in the skilled trades and to be successful in the workforce.”
In March, Saskatchewan announced it is investing an additional $1 million to increase the capacity for the development of skilled trades in the province. The additional investment will push the province’s total investment into the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC) for 2023-2024 to $22.4 million. As a result, 150 more seats are available to Saskatchewan residents.
Ontario also announced it is investing over $4.7 million to prepare Ontarians for in-demand careers in the skilled trades.
Throughout this month, the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency will contact employers by email to ask them to nominate up to five journeypersons for every apprentice who progressed to the next level of their apprenticeship.
For each level an apprentice progresses, $2,500 will be distributed equally among the eligible journeypersons.
“This first-of-its-kind program will encourage more journeypersons to take an active role in mentoring apprentices,” said Michelle Bussey, CEO, Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency. “By recognizing the value of effective mentoring in the skilled trades and journeypersons’ vital role in the apprenticeship system, we will be better positioned to meet the province’s significant labour demands in the skilled trades.”
In October 2023, Nova Scotia announced an investment of $100 million over three years to support actions to accelerate skilled trades in the province. Thanks to the investment, up to 5,000 new apprentices will be added to the system in the next three years. That would increase the number of journeypersons and trades qualifiers taking on apprentices by 1,000 per year, and increase the retention rate to certification of apprentices to 60% from 43% within five years.
Thanks to that, 2,544 new apprentices were registered and began their training in skilled trades in 2023.
Since 2014, the number of apprentices has increased by 51% (8,960 apprentices in 2023-2024 compared with 5,923 in 2014-15).
The Ontario government also increased apprenticeship registrations by 24% from 2022 to 2023.
