Apprentices and companies sponsoring them in Powell River have another resource to help meet the increased demand for skilled trades people in BC.
Last fall the Industrial Training Authority (ITA) hired Shannon Hanson, to act as an apprenticeship advisor to support local skilled trades apprentices and employer sponsors on the North Shore, Sunshine Coast and in Whistler.
Hanson said her primary role is to help increase the province’s apprenticeship rates, build knowledge and awareness of the BC apprenticeship system and provide guidance to apprentices and sponsors.
She is working with Vancouver Island University and CareerLink to make referrals to her and she is taking drop-in visits from anyone looking for more information about how to become an apprentice, how to navigate all of the apprenticeship stages and how to access government training grants and loans. She plans to spend one day each month in Powell River. Hanson will be available for drop-ins from 10 am to 2 pm on Friday, June 26 at Vancouver Island University.
There are currently 15 advisors working in BC communities, and according to the ITA, the program was initiated by the provincial government as part of its “commitment to shape a workforce that can meet the demand for skilled tradespeople in the coming decade.”
For more information, readers can go online or contact Hanson directly at 1.604.972.1599 or by email [email protected].
