The Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Jobs, Immigration and Growth, today announced two projects that will lower the cost of training and generate a labour market strategy for the provincial construction sector. Funding for these projects is provided by the Newfoundland and Labrador-Canada Labour Market Development Agreement.
Empower Learning Project
The Empower Learning project will provide accessible and cost-effective digital occupational health and safety training to small construction companies throughout the province.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Safety Association will manage the project with the goal of reducing costs and barriers to training for home builders, while enhancing safety practices across the industry. This self-paced and self-directed training will allow companies to offer safety training programs that are otherwise only offered in-person during standard work hours, resulting in cost savings from reduced travel and less downtime. This would reduce barriers such as geographic location and potential productivity loss if employees are away from a project to complete in-person training.
This training will help enable small businesses to improve safety compliance and potentially qualify for WorkplaceNL’s employer incentive program, known as PRIME, which could lead to additional cost savings.
A portion of the training will also be translated into five languages through a partnership with the Association for New Canadians. This work will help ensure newcomers interested in home building or construction are provided with relevant training tools to safely join the workforce.
The Provincial Government is investing $101,867 in the Empower Learning project.
Labour Market Strategy for Residential Construction Sector
A labour market strategy will be developed to address human resource challenges in the Newfoundland and Labrador residential construction sector. The Canadian Home Builders Association of Newfoundland and Labrador will conduct research and engage with employers in the construction industry to create a strategy to address issues related to labour supply and demand, training, education, recruitment and retention.
This project supports the Provincial Government’s commitment to improving access to safe and affordable housing and housing that is affordable by helping employers fill positions so they can plan and complete future builds.
The Provincial Government is investing $193,456 to create a labour market strategy for the residential construction sector.
These workforce development initiatives are part of a series of targeted Provincial Government investments to help ensure Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have high-quality jobs and the tools to succeed across all sectors of the provincial economy.
Quotes
“We are investing to grow our construction workforce while ensuring those workers are kept safe on the job. On top of that, these initiatives will save employers time and money. We thank our industry partners for working with us so that infrastructure projects and affordable homes continue to be prioritized and built in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Jobs, Immigration and Growth
“This initiative is a powerful example of what we are able to achieve when we collaborate with our stakeholders. By working together with government and industry, we are able to make this important safety training more accessible, affordable and inclusive, especially for small construction companies and newcomers. Empower Learning will help build safer workplaces and a stronger, more resilient workforce across Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Cherie Whelan
Chief Executive Officer
Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Safety Association
“The Canadian Home Builders’ Association – Newfoundland and Labrador welcomes the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s announcement of the Empower Learning and labour market strategy projects. Our organization has consistently highlighted the need to align immigration strategies with labour market demands, promote effective workforce integration, and support employers in attracting and retaining talent to help address labour shortages in the residential construction industry. While there is still more work to be done, we commend the provincial government for taking this positive step forward.”
Kelly Rogers
Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Home Builders Association of Newfoundland and Labrador
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