b'APPRENTICESHIPLocal IBEW 804 work with the Electrical Contractors Association of Central Ontario on anew pre-apprenticeship modelInternational Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 804s Pre-Apprentice Training and Retention Innovative Learning Program offers individuals with no previous electrical training the chance to learn. It also enables more opportunities for people from underrepresented groups, including women, Indigenous peoples and military veterans.IBEW Local 804 is receiving about $5.5 million in federal funding from the Union Training and Innovation Program. The funding, which started in 2019 and will run through 2024, is being used to pay for two full-time instructors and administrative staff, as well as teaching materials, including online resources. IBEW Local 804 is located in Breslau and its jurisdiction spans from the Town of St. Marys to the Northern Bruce Peninsula and Kincardine to Georgetown. It expects to train 240 electrical trade apprentices over the course of its program. Participants benefit from 10 weeks of classroom training, including hands-on practical learning, followed by 16 weeks of on-the-job training with a contractorall at no charge. arise and to weed out candidates who arentPre-apprenticesarriveonjobsiteswithmay not be completely suited for this line a good fit. Upon completion of the place- basicskillsandagoodunderstandingofof work.ment, a pre-apprentice becomes a first-levelterminologyandtools.OftenwhenyouFive of the six pre-apprentices who completed apprentice and begins their apprenticeship,hireapprentices,theyneedtobebabysattheir placement with ComTrade are still with which takes about five years to complete. Allexclusively for two to three months, if notthe company, including a couple of women. but a handful of candidates have completedlonger. Pre-apprentices, on the other hand,One of the strongest aspects of the program the program since its launch in 2019.can work alongside us so much better. Localis that its bringing diversity to the trade, Ready-Made Apprentices804 is fully aware of what it takes to be aFitzgibbons says. The program is giving pre-tradesperson in todays world. Through theirapprentices the confidence and wherewithal Candidateswithsometradestrainingarevetting process, they weed out people whoto go forward.attractive employees, says Nick Mammoliti, anestimatorandprojectmanagerwith LiveElectricinCambridge,amemberof theElectricalContractorsAssociationof Ontario (ECAO). Its divisions include com-mercial,residential,industrial,agricultural, institutionalandinfrastructure.Everypre-apprentice arrives at the jobsite with a solid understanding of and aptitude for the tradetwo factors that contribute to apprentice completionrates.Thatshalfthebattle, he says. Itshelpfulwhensomeonecomestous with elevated work platform training or can operate a forklift. They know what protective gear to bring to the jobsite and have all their tools,saysMammoliti.Wehavetaken full advantage of every intake of Local 804s pre-apprenticeship program. We have a few second-year apprentices who came to us from the pre-apprenticeship program, including a couple of female apprentices. Patrick Fitzgibbons, operations manager with ComTrade Ltd., also a member of the ECAO, has a non-union background and says finding qualified labour was the biggest problem he facedwhentheelectricalandmechanical contractingcompanywasestablishedthree years ago. When Local 804 said they could provide us with ready-made apprentices they hadalreadyvetted,Iwasonboardfrom the get-go. Ontario Electrical Contractor11'