Ratio change draws divided reaction

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/10/2024 (325 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A contentious change by the Manitoba government affecting training in the trades will come into force next week.

The reversion to a one-to-one ratio model — one apprentice per journeyperson instead of two trainees — is being lauded by some and called “a step backwards” by others.

The change begins Oct. 30, Economic Development Minister Jamie Moses announced Tuesday.

For nearly four years, journeypersons could oversee two apprentices each. The former Progressive Conservative government bumped the number from one apprentice to two in 2020, touting an opportunity to increase registration.

The New Democrats took a different stance after winning the 2023 election: Premier Wab Kinew promised during his campaign to re-establish the apprentice ratio as one-to-one. He labelled the PC’s higher ratio unsafe and unhelpful in attracting skilled workers.

On Tuesday, Moses gave a date for the ratio change and noted apprentices in two-to-one contracts will keep their existing placements.

There will be case-by-case exceptions to the ratio change in rural and northern Manitoba, he said, stopping short of giving examples.

The policy switch is controversial and comes amid labour shortages and a higher cost of construction.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2085 and Manitoba Building Trades backed the move.

Dave McPhail, business manager for IBEW Local 2085, called the two-to-one ratio “catastrophic” for Red Seal electricians. “The only logical reason for having more apprentices than Red Seals is for cost savings,” he asserted Tuesday.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Red Seal electricians were laid off. Once work restarted, some contractors “stacked” their crews with double the apprentices, McPhail said.

There’s been a 30 per cent reduction in electrical apprentices receiving their Red Seal since the two-to-one ratio took effect, he told a crowd gathered for the announcement.

Manitoba has seen a drop in apprentices receiving their Red Seals across the trades, added Tanya Palson, executive director of Manitoba Building Trades.

“We need to be focused on getting people actually to Red Seal completion,” she said, adding the two-to-one ratio means workers aren’t getting mentored as thoroughly.

Less than 50 per cent of Manitobans are completing their Red Seal training, according to Palson. During the two-to-one ratio, apprenticeship completion rates declined more than five per cent annually, a provincial government spokesperson said.

Despite the 2021 ratio increase, there weren’t seats added in schools for more apprentice positions, Palson stated.

The number of apprentices attending technical training dropped to 3,433 in 2023-24 from 4,218 people in 2018-19, provincial data shows.

In a statement, the PC critic for advanced education and training defended the higher ratio and said the NDP is “creating a huge void in our workforce and hurting our economy.”

The policy change will boost the cost of housing and infrastructure, push skilled workers out of the province, delay construction projects and put Manitoba at a “competitive disadvantage” with the rest of Canada, Richard Perchotte wrote.

“As more journeymen retire each year, bringing more apprentices into the workforce is more important than ever,” he continued. “If we can’t train to replace the workforce we have today, we are going to lose the ability to grow our trades, grow our economy.”

Last year, Manitoba Building Trades forecast 7,600 retirements by 2032.

“I can’t find journeymen. That means I can’t hire anybody,” said Daniel Hartley, president of Powertec Electric.

Having two apprentices per journeyperson is beneficial in bringing down labour costs and getting workers hours for their certification, he noted. The new plan is “a bit of a step backwards” given ongoing labour shortages, he added.

He was echoed by Taylor Adolphe, owner of Whyte Ridge Heating and Air Conditioning. The small business has “capable” helpers on waiting for apprenticeship.

“These guys who are wanting to make more money, have licences, be able to have options, they’re kind of stuck because their (working) hours aren’t going to (certification),” Adolphe said.

The Winnipeg Construction Association believes the policy change will have “profound negative impacts” on the industry. Already, projects get delayed due to a lack of tradespeople, said Darryl Harrison, the association’s advocacy director.

Safety issues could be addressed in different ways, like training journeypersons on how to best supervise apprentices, Adolphe pitched.

It’s hard to say the two-to-one ratio led people to leave the trades, he added — often, people quit because of the hours, working conditions and physical toll.

“We’re a different culture now. It’s hard to find guys who actually want to do trades,” Adolphe said.

The province is undertaking a review of its apprenticeship system, Moses noted. The NDP rebooted the Apprenticeship and Certification Board, adding more labour representatives in February.

The review will be completed this year with changes to come in 2025, a provincial spokesperson noted. Leads are studying why Manitoba has experienced a decrease in apprenticeship registrations.

The initial one-to-one apprenticeship ratio followed the 1999 death of 19-year-old Michael Skanderberg. The labourer was electrocuted while replacing a school lighting system without supervision; his company didn’t employ proper safety procedures.

His mother, Cindy, a worker safety advocate, said Tuesday she supported the one-to-one ratio’s return with all of her being.

“The point of this is not to wait until there’s another issue or another accident. We’ve learned our lesson,” Moses said.

Camco Electric is among the companies to applaud the change. Project manager Cam Couper believes it will assist in “quality training.”

Assiniboine College, which counts about 800 apprentices annually, said the new ratio won’t impact the structure of its programming. Some businesses have speculated the policy change might constrict hiring, which could reduce apprenticeship numbers, but it’s “hard to be definitive” right now, a spokesperson wrote in a statement.

In Manitoba, there are 16,881 certificates issued to journeypersons.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com