ɫ��ɫ

WINNIPEG – The Manitoba government is recognizing journeyperson achievement in the province.

The 32nd annual Apprenticeship Highest Achievement Awards ceremony was held at the Legislative Building in Winnipeg and recognized 40 newly certified journeypersons who were the highest-achieving graduates in their respective trades, based on academic accomplishments and on-the-job performance, a release said.

“Your determination while maintaining high performance in your respective trades is admirable and I am honoured to have been able to present awards to this distinguished group,” said Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources Minister Jamie Moses in a statement.

“We recognize the importance of the trades in the Manitoba labour market and are building our workforce by investing in apprenticeship training,”

Two additional awards were presented to individuals achieving the highest standing on the certification exam through the trades qualification stream. Nelson Benevides received the Ron Krishka Memorial Award for highest achievement through trades qualification among domestic applicants for the trade of concrete finisher; and Jaspreet Singh received the Internationally Experienced Tradesperson Award for highest achievement through trades qualification among international applicants for the trade of automotive service technician.

Employers and mentors supporting journeypersons were also recognized at the event.

“Manitoba’s apprenticeship system recognizes the importance of apprenticeship training, as it works to address Manitoba’s labour market demands and remains responsive to industry needs. Investing in apprentices in Manitoba is an investment into the skilled labour force and economic growth of our province,” Apprenticeship and Certification Board chair Tanya Palson said.

The Manitoba government is investing an additional $1.5 million in funding towards apprentice technical training to help grow the skilled labour force, lift the freeze on adult learning and expand apprenticeship opportunities, Moses noted.

Apprenticeship Manitoba co-ordinates the training and certification of skilled trades workers and offers training and certification in over 50 trade programs, the release said.