Ottawa pumps $250,000 into trades

A $250,000 federal government injection into Skills Canada Yukon will help raise the profile of skilled trades as career options for young people.

A $250,000 federal government injection into Skills Canada Yukon will help raise the profile of skilled trades as career options for young people.

“We need skilled workers to keep the economy building strong,“ Education Minister Patrick Rouble said at the announcement, held in the Yukon College cafeteria Monday afternoon.

Federal Human Resources and Social Development Minister Monte Solberg had been set to speak at yesterday’s announcement. However, a mechanical problem with the plane he was scheduled to be on cancelled his flight in to Whitehorse from Vancouver.

The money will be used by Skills Canada Yukon for the Yukon and Canadian Skills Competitions, running the Whitehorse Skills Centre, developing skills clubs and presentations on careers in the trades.

“To succeed in this competitive environment, we need to ensure that our young people know about the many rewarding career possibilities that exist in the trades and that they have (the opportunity) to take full advantage of them,“ said Nathalie Dugas, the local Service Canada director who represented Solberg during Monday’s announcement.

Having more workers in the trades helps in dealing with issues like labour shortages, and it’s important to keep young people interested in pursuing trades,

Dugas said after congratulating the Yukon team members who competed in the national skills competition in Calgary earlier this year.

The team came back to the territory having won more medals (six) than any Yukon team before in categories ranging from sheet metal to electrical wiring.

CNC machine silver medalist Karl Loos, an apprentice working at Quantum Machining, will be going on to compete as part of Canada’s team in the World Skills Competition next year in Calgary.

After congratulating the Yukon team, with members standing behind the podium at the announcement, Dugas noted the federal commitment to create the best educated, most skilled and most flexible work force world-wide.

The federal money is coming out of the Youth Awareness initiative, which provides financial assistance for projects aimed at dealing with labour market issues in communities.

The program is used to develop and implement strategies to meet the employers’ current and future labour needs.

“Our investment will encourage young people to take up trades as a career and supports the Yukon Skills Competition and Team Yukon when they are at Canadian Skills Competitions,“ Dugas said.

Rouble noted the 400-plus registered apprentices in the territory is the highest number of trades workers the Yukon has seen, and double the number from a couple of years ago.

He went on to praise those involved with Skills Canada Yukon.

“You’re really creating an awful lot of awareness about all the possibilities for a career in trades, which we all know is really fulfilling, really satisfying, a lot of fun and rewarding for the pocketbook as well,“ he said.

It’s easy to see the positive impact Skills Canada Yukon is having throughout the territory, Rouble said.

He pointed specifically to a video club operated by the organization that has found work doing public service announcements.

Along with the $250,000 from the federal government, the territory is putting $78,000 into Skills Canada Yukon.

Stephanie Churchill, president of the organization, told those gathered in the college’s cafeteria that it’s the support of many, such as Service Canada and the territorial government along with employers and more than 300 volunteers, that has contributed to the success of the team members this year.

“Just about every business and every organization in Yukon has contributed to skills, and in no small way,“ she said. “The effort that you bring forward have resulted in amazing success.“

Loos also noted the support he’s received along the way, heading into the national competition and as he prepares for the world event. He thanked all those involved from Skills Canada Yukon down to his family’s support.

Along with the federal money coming into the territory, Ottawa is also putting $13.4 million into the international competition in September 2009 and has grants available to those doing apprenticeships.