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ATLANTIC CANADA
Atlantic Canada governments announce
harmonization of apprenticeship systems
Canadian Design and Construction Report
The Atlantic provinces have agreed to harmonize
their apprenticeship systems.
Federal and provincial leaders announced in late May
that the Atlantic provinces, through the Council of At-
lantic Premiers, will invest $3.5 million in the project. In
addition, federal Employment and Social Development
Minister Jason Kenney announced that the federal gov-
ernment will provide more than $4.3 million to support
the initiative.
“It is time to keep our most important resource, our
people, working at home,” said New Brunswick premier
David Alward. “Harmonizing apprenticeship projects
across the Atlantic region will help build our communi-
ties and create job opportunities here at home. As we
continue to work together to build a skilled workforce
across our region, we want to ensure opportunities
meet the needs of employers and apprentices.”
Within the next four years, the project will harmonize
4 – Summer 2014 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report
10 trades across the four provinces beginning with
bricklayers, cooks, instrumentation and control techni-
cians and construction electricians.
“Having harmonized apprenticeship systems will
help more Canadians gain the skills and experience they
need to find available jobs,” said Kenney. “This project
will create jobs and opportunities for workers across At-
lantic Canada and help employers get the skilled work-
ers they needs. Today is an important step forward in
removing the barriers to job creation caused by differ-
ent apprenticeship systems across the country.”
Over the course of the past year, Alward met with
his Atlantic counterparts to discuss how together they
can best respond to the region's labour market and job
training needs.
“This on-going dialogue and co-ordination led to
today's announcement,” said Alward. “I am pleased that
our government, as a partner in the Atlantic Workforce
Partnership, will harmonize apprenticeship programs
across the Atlantic region.”