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The Manitoba government will restore the 1:1 apprentice-to-journeyperson ratio, effective Oct. 30, as part of regulatory changes announced by Economic Development Minister Jamie Moses on Tuesday.
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“Restoring the 1:1 ratio supports safe and higher quality training for workers,” Moses said.
Moses emphasized the importance of safety for all workers in the province. The updated regulations aim to provide better supervision and support for apprentices throughout their training.
Tanya Palson, executive director of Manitoba Building Trades, said, “Apprenticeship is the training program, Red Seal is the career.”
Palson said the changes will help young Manitobans complete their training and support their families.
Cindy Skanderberg, mother of a worker killed on the job, expressed support for the restoration.
“I applaud the Manitoba government for restoring the 1:1 apprentice-to-journeyperson ratio,” Skanderberg said. “Every day I will fight to keep Manitoba workers safe. This will save lives.”
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The changes also modernize the apprenticeship system, reducing administrative burdens and enhancing competitiveness.
Dave McPhail of IBEW 2085 approved of the change.
“Restoring the ratio to 1:1 means that this government is serious about building Manitoba with highly skilled, properly trained Red Seals,” McPhail said.
The minister said existing apprenticeship agreements can continue if:
- employers have been permitted to have journeypersons supervise more than one apprentice
- apprentices actively demonstrate continued progress in their apprenticeship program under pre-existing employment agreements
- journeypersons do not take on additional apprentices
The government said it will also review the operations of Apprenticeship Manitoba to identify further improvements.
“A modernized and responsive apprenticeship training and certification system is good for workers, grows industry and moves our province forward,” Moses said. “These changes will ensure Manitoba continues to provide an attractive market to meet the growing demands for skilled labour of the future.”
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