Friday, November 22, 2024 | Today's Newsletter | Login
Top in Trades
Actors have the Oscars, scientists the Nobel. Tradespeople have . . . well, until quite recently there wasn’t much danger of a tradesperson in British Columbia losing his or her award-night bling in the plush of the red carpet. But that all changed three years ago with the arrival of B.C.’s Top in Trades awards, established to celebrate success in the local trades. And this week, the Top in Trades team is on the hunt again for B.C.’s best! The Industry Training Authority, which manages B.C.’s apprenticeship programs for the provincial government, is looking for tradespeople and apprentices who have gone above and beyond in their work or contributions to their communities. The ITA wants readers like you to recommend someone who’s top in their trade by filling out a nomination form online at www.theprovincecontests.com/topintrades. Lisa Dooling, Executive Lead, Communications and Marketing with ITA, says the annual Top In Trades awards were conceived for two purposes. "For one it’s to recognize all the amazing tradespeople who are out there contributing to our communities, those hidden occupations that don’t have all the status of some of the other professions," Dooling explains. "And also, I’m trying to inspire young people and their parents to look at these jobs as great career options that can provide good wages and rewarding futures." Despite the doom and gloom of the recent economic downturn, Dooling says the trades, like many other job sectors, is facing a "massive wave of babyboomers" who are going to be retiring in the coming years. Now, more than ever, she says, it is important to shine a celebratory spotlight on B.C.’s trades. "We will come out of the recession and when we do we don’t want to be facing the same problems we’re facing right now," says Dooling. "Which is skills shortages and a short fall of young people coming out of our post secondary institutions with trades skills. "We can’t be short sighted and take our eye off the ball," she adds.
This year, the Top in Trades awards has added three new nomination categories – Environmental Sustainability, Aboriginal Tradesperson and Immigrant Tradesperson, bringing to 14 the total number of categories.
Last year, says Dooling, there were over 200 nominations across 11 categories.
"We get a real mix," explains Dooling. "There’s families, husbands and wives and mothers and fathers and girlfriends and boyfriends nominating someone.
"But then there’s the peer nominations – employees nominating their bosses, former apprentices nominating their past employers, sometimes teachers or mentors. It’s an honour just to be nominated by someone who thinks you’re doing a great job out there."
The ITA donates a $500 bursary in the name of each winner to the school and trade program of their choice.
Apprentices who win recieve a $500 bursary toward their education and training.
In addition, each winner will be profiled in The Province, as well as in theAsian Pacific Post, the South Asian Post and The Filipino Post.
"And of course, we have the awards reception in May," says Dooling. "Some of the winners bring their whole family with them to accept the award, make their little speech, it’s a pretty neat event actually."
So, if you know someone who has gone above and beyond in their given trade, be they a plumber, chef, carpenter, auto mechanic, electrician or butcher, visit B.C.’s Top in Trades awards website at www.theprovincecontests.com/topintrades and help celebrate B.C.’s best.
Leave a comment
