Until recently the apprenticeship programs across the country have not undergone any significant upgrades to the model they have followed for decades. For the most part, there has been some evolution in content as technology has changed and advanced, but not necessarily in structure.
For the last decade, the Atlantic provinces were all working with their own chosen set of curriculum guidelines and exams. For example, Prince Edward Island (PEI) had a longstanding agreement with Alberta to use its content, curriculum, and exams.
“Because we are such a small jurisdiction, we really had no choice but to reach out to larger provinces that had the capability and resources to develop and maintain skilled trades training curriculum,” said Grant Sweet, director of apprenticeship and trades, PEI Department of Economic Growth, Tourism, and Culture. “This worked for a while, but we did notice that the content and processes were very specific to industry in Western Canada, particularly oil and gas, and certainly didn’t have the applicability in Atlantic Canada. This made it challenging for PEI apprentices to obtain the necessary experience to be successful in their Red Seal program.”
Read more HERE: https://www.canadianmetalworking.com/canadianmetalworking/article/management/atlantic-boom-part-i
