Employers will be able to hire two apprentices for every journeyperson in 27 of 47 trades
Saskatchewan employers will soon be able to hire more apprentices to better help them meet their labour needs.
The provincial government has amended the regulations that set out the required ratio of apprentices to journeypersons for each job.
"Saskatchewan has a growing need for skilled tradespersons, and these amendments are another way our province is meeting the needs of the economy and labour market," said Advanced Education, Employment and Labour Minister Rob Norris.
In the past, the ratio for most trades was one apprentice to one journeyperson. The amendments to the Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Regulations, 2003, will:
• increase the number of apprentices per journeyperson from one-to-one to two-to-one in 27 of the 47 trades and 16 of the 23 sub-trades
• exclude final level apprentices from the apprentice to journeyperson ratio requirement in all trades and sub-trades
• enable journeypersons to receive training and certification to complete work in a related compulsory trade.
Consultations were conducted by the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC) in July 2008 to determine the apprenticeship ratios to be amended to assist employers in meeting skill shortages and made recommendations to the government.
The SATCC expects apprentice numbers will grow over time as a result of this change.
