APPRENTICESHIP MANITOBA
Apprenticeship Manitoba’s Response
To the COVID-19 pandemic
By David McCutcheon, Executive Director, Apprenticeship Manitoba
The construction industry has been
a leader throughout the COVID-19
pandemic in protecting good jobs,
helping to rebuild Manitoba’s economy
safely and positioning the province
for growth.
An uninterrupted pipeline of skilled
tradespeople is essential to ensure that
construction projects continue to proceed
as planned despite the challenges presented
by COVID-19.
Apprenticeship Manitoba has engaged
with businesses, stakeholders and training
providers to understand the impacts
of the pandemic and has pivoted to
provide service that meets the needs of
industry while following all public health
advice and protocols.
Contactless client services
Apprenticeship Manitoba is providing all
client support services online or by phone.
While in-person service has been suspended
for now, technical training registration was
adapted to allow apprentices to register
for training online and over the phone
through a streamlined process. The current
online registration system does not have
the capacity to register all apprentices on
the same day, so the process was modified
to allow for a staggered registration to take
place on a trade-by-trade basis.
Technical training
Technical training has transitioned to an
online delivery platform wherever possible.
However, the 2020-21 school year is
proceeding with flexible training modules
that combine online and in-person delivery
where it is safe to do so. Apprenticeship
Manitoba is working with the colleges to
expand online training to more trades as
the COVID-19 pandemic persists. The
FIZKES/123RF
David McCutcheon
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID MCCUTCHEON
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