Archive for category: front

As spring finally arrives, construction starts to kick into high gear. Today, I ask that you think a little differently about the people you see with hard hats, safety vests and steel-toed boots.

You may be delayed because of construction, but think about this: these hard working professionals are the people who build the highways that are so important to trade and tourism; hospitals that welcome our newest tiny humans and house those who need care; schools, where the hopes, dreams and creativity of our youth are ignited. They, and the tens of thousands of professionals behind them, build the infrastructure we take for granted everyday as we go to a graduation, visit a sick friend or simply go for a Sunday drive along our beautiful shores. We take it for granted, yet, this infrastructure is so vital to our economy, public safety and very way of life.

Today, I ask that you look up when you see a crane and be amazed with the science, technology and complexity of design and construction of the project. The next time you brush your teeth or take a shower, think about the complexity of getting safe clean drinking water to your home. When you cross a bridge without a thought, know that there are many people who have thought long and worked hard so you don’t have to think about it.

Think differently today and I promise you will think differently every day after that about the 30,000 men and women who build our province. You may even be motivated to say thanks the next time you pass a construction site (from a safe distance of course)!

Sincerely,

Duncan Williams
President, Construction Association of Nova Scotia

The Blacklist is a popular program on television, but in the world of Canadian construction contracts, some municipalities are creating their own real-life blacklists. Read more.

For years, construction was an analogue world: bricks and mortar; pen and paper. Buildings were designed and planned using traditional two-dimensional drawings, with errors or miscalculations sometimes only discovered once the structure was already forming on the ground. But thanks to advances in digital technology, the days of poring over crumpled rolls of complex blueprints is over. Read more.

Request for applications (one employer and one employee Nova Scotia representative) for three Atlantic Trades Advisory Committees under the Atlantic Apprenticeship Harmonization Project: one for the Construction Electrician trade; one for the Industrial Electrician trade; and one for the Carpenter trade.

Refer to the Terms of Reference for eligibility criteria.  For example, Employee representatives must have recent and relevant experience working “on the tools”.

Please note, these are three separate committees with three separate applications and three separate qualification criterion. The information documents are the same; however, the applicant will need to use the correct Expression of Interest (EOI) form.

Attached: a letter from the Honourable Minister Regan; a Terms of Reference for the Committees (generic); the expense guidelines; and Expression of Interest forms.

In  order to apply, a resume detailing the applicant’s credentials and a completed Expression of Interest form is needed. The Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency Board will select from the applicants and appoint the representatives to the Atlantic Trade Advisory Committee.  Please note, there is an honorarium and expenses paid for attending the meetings as an appointed member.  The first meeting for the Construction Electrician and Industrial Electrician trades (separate meetings) is in Halifax in September 2015.

The first meeting for the Carpenter trade is in Charlottetown, PE in the fall 2015.  The meetings are usually 2 days in length.Applications must be returned by May 8, 2015 to: sarah.lightfoot@novascotia.ca

Pre-employment programs are a win-win for companies and young people interested in pursuing a career in the trades. Read more.