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Parksville policy adopted at B.C. chamber AGM

Apprenticeship completion rates policy put forward by local chamber

A policy on improving apprenticeship completion rates put forward by the Parksville & District Chamber of Commerce passed at the BC Chamber of Commerce annual General Meeting and Conference held in Kamloops.

Kim Burden, executive director for the Parksville & District Chamber of Commerce said, “The unanimous acceptance of this policy by the Chambers from across the province demonstrates the need for skill development in our workforce. We are optimistic the provincial government will recognize the need to improve the completion rates of apprentices to Red Seal Tradespeople to ensure a smooth succession from retiring tradespeople.”

The policy was passed unanimously and is now an official B.C. chamber policy and will be advocated by the chamber to appropriate levels of government over 2018 and 2019.

The chamber recommends the provincial government: should discontinue modularized training and certification; and should reinstate compulsory certification, in alignment with the rest of Canada, accompanied using a clear framework for the review of trades with an effective compliance and enforcement policy, based on evidence-based analysis and input from industry.

“The Parksville & District Chamber of Commerce is proud to see this policy pass and receive support from our peers across the province,” said Burden.

“Our chamber is committed to creating a more business-friendly region and a more business-friendly B.C.”

The B.C. chamber AGM and conference is held in a different B.C. community each year.

The event is the largest annual business policy forum in the province, according to a news release from the Parksville and District Chamber of Commerce.

Every year, member chambers of the BC Chamber develop and submit policies for the consideration of their peers. This year, 52 policies were up for debate at the B.C. Chamber of Commerce AGM.

— Submitted by the Parksville and District Chamber of Commerce