Victoria, BC — Small to medium-sized construction-related employers can receive up to $40,000 for hiring and/or registering a first-year apprentice in any of the 39 Red Seal Trades.
The incentive comes as part of the BC Construction Association’s (BCCA) Apprenticeship Services campaign, which aims to help employers overcome financial barriers when hiring and training first-year apprentices. The campaign will run until March 31, 2024.
Employers will receive payments for either hiring a new employee and registering them as a first-year apprentice, registering an existing employee as a first-year apprentice, or switching an existing apprentice or journeyperson into a different Red Seal trade as a first-year apprentice.
Payments include $5,000 for hiring or registering a first-year apprentice. Employers can also receive an additional $5,000 for hiring or registering workers from undervalued groups such as women, new Canadians, LGBTQ2+, Indigenous, and workers with a disability or a visible minority.
Through BCCA Apprenticeship Services, employers can receive payments for up to two employees per fiscal year during the two years of the campaign for a maximum of up to $40,000.
Specific hiring dates for the program include hiring between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023. An additional two first-year apprentices can be hired between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024.
A company must be a small- or medium-sized construction-related employer (union or non-union) with under 500 employees to be eligible. The company must also be registered in BC (have a BC WorkSafe number) and will be obliged to sign a sub-agreement with BCCA Apprenticeship.
The BCCA will host a free online webinar on Jan. 25 at 8:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) to discuss additional information about the program.