b'FROM OUR PRESIDENTApprenticeship Ratios:If Its Not Broken, Dont Fix ItApprenticeship is the principal training system utilized by trades in the construction industry. While there are many challenges in the delivery of apprenticeship, we continue to rely on this training model, and we are always willing to collaborate with Apprenticeship Manitoba and our post-secondary institutions to ensure that we are doing everything we can to address the shortage of skilled trades.Construction is the largest consumer of apprenticeship training in Manitoba with at least 30 of the 65 designated trades and 6,700 of the 10,800 registered apprentices working in the construction industry. Several trades such as electrical, carpentry and plumbing have traditionally high enrolments, while many others such as glazing and floorcovering struggle to attract more than a handfulof applicants.In March, the provincial government announced it was changing the apprenticeship ratio from 2:1 (two apprentices for a single journeyperson) back to 1:1. WCA expressed concern with this approach as it potentially restricts our ability to grow our workforce. Recently, I spoke with a gentleman who was concerned that his son, a first-year apprentice, would be laid off should the proposed changes to apprenticeship ratios go ahead. That could well be the case.When discussing the rationale for the decision to change the ratio, the government refers to an industry fatality in 1999 and attempts to tie that to the ratio discussions. The victim was a labourer, changing a light ballast on live fixturesa dangerous situation and a horribly tragic accident. In response, in 2006, the government passed a regulation making Construction Electrician a compulsory trade so that going forward, no one can work on electrical unless they are a journeyperson or a registered apprentice. Again, a tragic accident, but not related to ratios.WCA works very closely with the Construction Safety Association of Manitoba (CSAM), and we can see no evidence that the injury rates or incident frequency increased after the ratio was changed to 2:1 in 2021.It was also suggested that since the apprenticeship system is in such disarray that we should reduce the number of apprentices in the system. Lets try to unkink the hose rather than turning the tap off! Offered as evidence of the so-called disarray in the apprenticeship system are poor completion rates and difficulties getting into a college for the in-school component. Completion rates across Canada hover around 50 per cent and have for many years. The reasons are many but include a lack of journeyperson mentors in rural areas, inadequate work/hours and difficulties in completing the in-school component. Getting apprentices registered for class has always been a challenge for Apprenticeship Manitoba, but I have been told repeatedly by the training institutions that they will always accommodate the request for seats from the branch.Changing the ratio to 1:1 is a step backward for skilled trades in Manitoba. This move will limit our ability to grow our workforce and cause job losses for many apprentices already in the system.Ron Hambley6 BUILD MANITOBAwinnipegconstruction.ca'