June 3, 2008

Harper salutes graduates of Sarnia association’s apprenticeship program

VINCE VERSACE

staff writer

The Sarnia Construction Association (SCA) recently had the highest-ranking Canadian official possible attend its annual construction association graduation when Prime Minister Stephen Harper walked through the banquet hall doors.

“It certainly was some big recognition for us, the building trades, the apprentices and the success of the program,” said Ray Curran, chair of SCA’s local labour relations council.

Harper attended SCA’s 41st annual apprentice graduation and told the graduates they will provide the skill and work ethic on which Canada’s future will be built. There were 109 graduates this year from trades such as pipefitters, boilermakers, carpenters and electricians.

“You will be going out there in the workforce, maybe some of you eventually across the country, and you will be building and servicing the next generation of factories, plants, schools, housing and other facilities; the buildings and the infrastructure that all workers and all sectors will need to keep our country strong,” said Harper.

Lambton College provided the training foundation for the apprentice graduates. There currently are another 1,000 apprentices in the system. Curran said the SCA graduation ceremony averages around 100 apprenticeship graduates yearly.

“We have had some lean years in the 1990s, but with Sarnia competing for the Shell plant, we could see another 400 to 700 new apprentices enter the system,” explained Curran.

Curran said Harper was very gracious with his time at the ceremony held at Sarnia’s Dante Club. He took time to take group pictures with the various graduating apprentices.

Harper also handed out special awards to the five top performers in the apprenticeship program. Curran said the prime minister also made sure to make time to meet and have photos taken with some of the graduating apprentices who arrived late.

In his address to the hall, Harper said his government has been very active in encouraging young people to consider a future in the trades.

Harper highlighted the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant to reduce schooling costs, the Job Creation Tax Credit to reward employers who hire apprentices and a Tools Tax Credit to make tool purchases less expensive.

“We’ve done more than just run some ads to encourage this career path,” said Harper.

Harper said Canada will need hundreds of thousands of skilled trades workers because of its growing population, booming natural resources sectors and diverse modern economy.

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