Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Chad Klassen

TRADES CERTIFICATION

Home builders’ association concerned about journeyman to apprentice ratios with new mandatory certification

Jun 15, 2021 | 5:16 PM

KAMLOOPS — The push towards certifying every tradesperson across the province is garnering cautious support from organizations like the Canadian Home Builders’ Association Central Interior.

The local home builders’ association believe mandatory certification is a good thing, but it’s concerned about the rollout and how it could impact the number of apprentices on the job.

President Jere Lorenz said it was not consulted by the province and fears the rollout will too fast, and the ratio between journeyman and apprentices will be too low.

“Provinces that have a 3:1 ratio (three apprentices to one journeyman), maybe 2:1, but if you start getting into a 1:1 ratio, if they start rolling it out that way, any province that has rolled out a 1:1 ratio, they’ve seen a decline in young people getting into the industry,” said Lorenz.

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It’s exactly the opposite of what B.C. is hoping for with mandatory certification starting as early as 2023. The province wants to increase the prestige of trades and encourage more people to work in those sectors.

According to local tradespeople, a lower ratio would mean fewer opportunities for young apprentices to get the experience they need. With fewer apprentices working on a job site, it affects the cost of a project as well.

“By changing it to a 2:1 ratio, it means you’re going to have one expensive person looking after two less-expensive people, and just because of that overall, the average cost of a per-hour rate is going to be more expensive and result in a more expensive product in the end,” said Bolger.

With a greater expense, Bolger believes some companies may be more hesitant to hire young people.

Meantime, Lorenz believes more veteran tradespeople who don’t have certification won’t want to go back to school, while younger people needing certification will need schooling and be pulled away from a job.

“When they start rolling out everybody, that will affect the amount of workers we have on site. The average construction worker is 42 years old. A lot of the ones getting older nearing the end of their career, they’re not going back if they’re not certified. They’re going to say ‘that’s it, I’m done,” said Lorenz.