Newly Certified Tradespeople Honoured

More than 250 of the province's newest cooks, plumbers, welders and other newly certified tradespeople were honoured at an apprenticeship celebration in Dartmouth on Saturday, Nov. 6.

The event recognized the achievement of those who recently completed an apprenticeship program in one of 53 designated trades.

"Apprenticeship provides opportunities to learn while earning, and helps Nova Scotians acquire the skills and training they need to meet the needs of the labour market," said Education Minister Jamie Muir. "Congratulations to the newly certified tradespeople and I wish you luck and success in your new careers."

Three special awards were presented at the celebration to:
Richard D'Eon, welder at Brooklyn Power (Bridgewater), apprentice award of excellence; Ian Riley, heavy duty equipment manager with Dexter Construction(Bedford), apprentice award of excellence; and Mike Senz, A & H Renovations, (Dartmouth), mentor/coach award of excellence.

One of those graduating was Sarah Wechsler, guest speaker at the event. The twenty-two year old from Clam Bay, Halifax Co., completed her apprenticeship in the family business, Ernst Wechsler Plumbing Services Ltd. Sarah is following in the footsteps of her father, the company founder. She sees her work as art. "I love being able to create a working system out of metal and pipes; it is a wonderful feeling to see the finished product," she said. She does everything from installing new plumbing and piping systems, repair work, heating systems, to renovations and much more.

During her apprenticeship, Sarah won two gold medals and one silver medal in the Nova Scotia Skills Competitions for her outstanding technical skills in the plumber trade.

Today, certified tradespeople from Nova Scotia can be found working around the globe and are recognized for their high calibre skills. The Nova Scotia apprenticeship system is also attracting international attention for training excellence and the certification process.

Apprenticeship combines classroom studies with technical trades training. About 85 per cent of training is done at the job site. Apprentices have an opportunity to earn while they learn. The employer pays their wages based on the level of experience. More than 3,000 workplaces across the province participate in apprenticeship training.

Improvements to the apprenticeship program are part of the province's Skills Nova Scotia initiative. The initiative involves meeting the skill demands of Nova Scotia's labour market, providing better labour market access and support, and strengthening Nova Scotia's system of lifelong learning opportunities.

Recent improvements to the apprenticeship system include: making the system accessible to more people, including youth; making it possible for people to complete their training in a more timely manner; and getting more relevant training through greater industry involvement in program design.

About 4,800 apprentices are actively participating in the apprenticeship program in Nova Scotia. Since 1937 more than 52,000 certificates of qualification have been issued in Nova Scotia.