OUTSTANDING NEW JOURNEYPERSONS AND APPRENTICES WILL BE RECOGNIZED

Released on November 3, 2006

Forty-five new journeypersons from around the province will be recognized for their outstanding achievement in the skilled trades at the Sixth Annual Apprenticeship Awards tonight in Regina. These are the top graduates among the 1,164 new journeypersons certified last year.

The demand for skilled workers has been increasing with the growing economy and retiring baby boomers, but so has the interest in the skilled trades. Over 2,100 new apprentices registered in the trades last year – a new record exceeding the previous year's intake by over 20 per cent. Total apprenticeship registrations in all levels exceeded 5,900 last year and it continues to show strong growth. Of the new apprentices, 1,108 were Aboriginal people, 872 were women, and 299 were women in predominantly male trades.

"Saskatchewan workers have an excellent reputation for both skills and attitude," Minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission Pat Atkinson said. "The rising number of apprentices in our province is good news for employers in a tight labour market and provides excellent opportunities for young people to find rewarding employment in Saskatchewan. Our training institutions and our strong economy are helping to provide a bright future for our families and our youth."

"The foundation of apprenticeship is work-based skills development while working under the supervision of a skilled journeyperson," Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission board vice-chair Gary Kot said. "Since industry determines the standards, training and certification, the awards are formal opportunities for the Commission, industry and technical training partners to recognize the men and woman who have met or exceeded our standards for training and certification. We are extremely proud of them all."

Twelve industry associations will present scholarships and awards to recognize outstanding Journeyperson's achievement in cooking, electrical, crane and hoist operator, women in non-traditional trades, plumbing, steamfitting-pipefitting, roofing, electronics assembling and refrigeration trades.

"In addition to the outstanding new journeyperson awards, a $250 Centennial Merit Scholarship Program Award will also be awarded to 127 apprentices for achieving the highest mark in each level within each trade," Kot said. "These scholarships are co-sponsored by industry through the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission and the Government of Saskatchewan."

Six young apprentices will also receive awards for obtaining gold medals in the Skills Canada Saskatchewan competitions in Saskatoon this year. Of them, one also achieved a gold medal in the national competition in Halifax.

-30-

For More Information, Contact:

Audrey Wolf-Kaminski Apprenticeship and Trade Commission Regina Phone: 306-787-5284 Email: awolf@sasked.gov.sk.ca Cell: 306-533-9231