Ottawa, October 26, 2023 – Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) is proud to introduce ApprenticeConnect, a bilingual platform to support apprentice recruitment, training, and retention for employers in the construction and manufacturing sectors. Incorporating best practices and tips, it also helps businesses cultivate a more diverse and positive workplace.
The platform is an integral component of Career Launcher Apprenticeships, funded by the Government of Canada’s Apprenticeship Service Program, which provides attractive hiring incentives of up to $10,000 per new apprentice. This powerful combination is poised to address the industry’s workforce needs while fostering greater diversity and inclusion.
Developed in consultation with seven colleges and institutes across the country, ApprenticeConnect serves as an indispensable guide, offering employers tailored tools to navigate every stage of the apprenticeship journey. This includes recruitment strategies, onboarding best practices, comprehensive training resources, and information on available financial support for apprentices and employers. By doing so, it empowers businesses to build a robust workforce and foster a sustainable future for their industries.
In addition to promoting a positive work culture that reduces burnout, injuries, and turnover, the toolkit is enriched with resources to support the recruitment and development of workers from traditionally underrepresented groups in the skilled trades.
The institutions who contributed to the creation of the platform include Assiniboine Community College, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Fanshawe College, Georgian College, Loyalist College, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, and Thompson Rivers University.
Quotes:
“Pairing this toolkit with Career Launcher Apprenticeships’ hiring incentives presents an unprecedented opportunity to address workforce challenges and ensure a vibrant construction and manufacturing sector in Canada. By providing a financial boost to alleviate barriers to investing in new talent and creating tools and resources to navigate the intricacies of apprenticeships and support the recruitment of women, newcomers, LGBTQ+, Indigenous peoples, and BIPOC individuals, we are not only fostering inclusivity but also building a more skilled and adaptable workforce, better prepared to meet the demands of the industry and ensure Canada’s continued economic prosperity.” – Denise Amyot, President and CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada.
About Colleges and Institutes Canada:
Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) is the national and international voice of Canada’s largest post-secondary education network. It advocates, builds capacity, and drives knowledge to strengthen Canada’s publicly supported colleges, institutes, CEGEPs, and polytechnics. With more than 95% of Canadians living within 50 km of a member institution, and thanks to its extensive reach around the globe, CICan works to future-proof communities in Canada and abroad.
We respectfully acknowledge that CICan’s offices in Ottawa are located on the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation.
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For more information:
Katrina King
Senior Digital Communications Officer
Colleges and Institutes Canada
Email: kking@collegesinstitutes.ca
Twitter: @CollegeCan