New online tool launched to match BC apprentices and local employer sponsors

Apprentice Job Match tool to better support job-seeking apprentices and help increase continuation and completion rates.

Cranbrook, BC - The Industry Training Authority (ITA) and WorkBC today launched a new innovative online Apprentice Job Match tool which will better connect local apprentices looking for on-the-job training they need to boost their skills and achieve certification in their chosen trade. See here for video of new tool in action.

The launch of this new tool is well-timed with the provincial government proclaiming November 7, 2014, as BC’s inaugural “Apprenticeship Recognition Day”. This day will help raise awareness of the importance of developing a highly trained and skilled workforce for key sectors of BC’s growing economy where skilled trades are needed.

The online Apprentice Job Match tool is located on WorkBC’s website which has over 20,000 visitors daily and 10,000 job postings. Finding an employer sponsor is one of the biggest hurdles to a successful apprenticeship. With over 37,000 registered apprentices in BC, and over 9,400 employer sponsors, the need to connect apprentices to local employers is greater than ever.

The Apprentice Job Match tool was launched locally at College of the Rockies, where Foundation program students, local employers, and other industry stakeholders joined ITA to learn more about how the tool works, and how it can assist them in their job or apprentice search.

“Helping apprentices find employer sponsors is critical to improving apprenticeship completion rates and ensuring industry has the skilled labour it needs to take advantage of our growing economy,” says Minister Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour. “Through our Skills for Jobs Blueprint, we committed to improving the way we connect apprentices and employers, and the Apprentice Job Match tool is providing an easy and accessible way to do exactly that.”

“There are so many opportunities in the trades in BC, and we want to make sure that BC students are first in line for these rewarding jobs,” said Bill Bennett, MLA for Kootenay East. “Thanks to our partnership with ITA, the Apprenticeship Job Match tool will help better connect students in the Kootenays looking for opportunities for on-the-job training in their chosen trade.”
“Job Match will provide a vital link for students in foundation training to continue on and complete an apprenticeship program,” says Russell Workun, Dean of Instruction, Trades, College of the Rockies. “For any number of reasons, some students are unable to find an employer after they complete their foundation level training. Job Match will enable our students to find employers who are looking for workers with the skill level they have attained. It is a win/win for the student, employer, and College of the Rockies.”

“I think this tool will be very beneficial for students,” says Destyni Basil, College of the Rockies Heavy Duty Mechanic Foundation student. “The tool is very convenient; a list of employers looking for your skills is available in one spot. This takes the stress off of students, especially for those who are hesitant to put themselves out there in the job market.”

“Employers are an essential component of any apprenticeship as 80% of an apprentice's journey is spent in practical training under the guidance of the employer,” says Gary Herman, ITA CEO. “It can be challenging for young apprentices, especially those just starting out, to find employment, so the online Apprentice Job Match tool is an invaluable resource for them, as well as employer sponsors looking to hire apprentices.”

By 2022, there are expected to be one million job openings in British Columbia. These job openings will be created by major new opportunities, including expanding liquefied natural gas (LNG), new mines and mining expansions, expanding shipbuilding, growing forestry exports, and increased activity in transportation. ITA is committed to building a skilled workforce to help ensure that British Columbians have the skills they need to be first in line for the many opportunities across the province.

The Introduction of the Apprentice Job Match tool is part of ITA's increased efforts to better support apprentices through the apprenticeship pathway and to increase continuation and completion rates across the province. It also delivers on recommendations outlined in B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint: Re-engineering Education and Training and the McDonald Report.

Want to learn more about Apprentice Job Match? ITA is hosting a webinar on November 12, 2014, to take BC apprentices and employers through the online job match process step-by-step.