Certified trades professionals in Nova Scotia who mentor apprentices can now receive up to $2,500 through a new government initiative. The Journeyperson Financial Incentive Program aims to bolster the number of apprentices becoming certified journeypersons by offering financial support to those who guide and train them.
“Journeypersons are the primary trainers within the apprenticeship program and play a vital role in supporting and developing the skills and knowledge of apprentices,” said Jill Balser, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration. “This program is a part of how we are building capacity to support apprentices to become certified in the skilled trades and to be successful in the workforce.”
The Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency will reach out to employers throughout August, asking them to nominate up to five journeypersons for each apprentice who advanced to the next level of their apprenticeship between August 1 and July 31 annually. The $2,500 incentive will be distributed equally among the nominated journeypersons for each level an apprentice progresses.
Eligible journeypersons will also receive online mentorship training covering basic communication skills and featuring interactive elements such as scenarios, videos, and quizzes. This training is part of the government’s strategy to accelerate the growth of the skilled trades sector in Nova Scotia.
Michelle Bussey, CEO of the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency, emphasized the program’s potential impact on the province’s labour market. “This first-of-its-kind program will encourage more journeypersons to take an active role in mentoring apprentices. By recognizing the value of effective mentoring in the skilled trades and journeypersons’ vital role in the apprenticeship system, we will be better positioned to meet the province’s significant labour demands in the skilled trades,” Bussey said.
The program follows the province’s announcement in October 2023 of a $100 million investment over three years to support the growth of skilled trades. The government aims to add up to 5,000 new apprentices to the system in the next three years, increase the number of journeypersons and trades qualifiers taking on apprentices by 1,000 per year, and boost the retention rate to certification of apprentices from 43 per cent to 60 per cent within five years.
In 2023, 2,544 new apprentices were registered and began their training in skilled trades. Since 2014, the number of apprentices in Nova Scotia has increased by 51 per cent, with 8,960 apprentices in 2023-2024 compared to 5,923 in 2014-15.
Additional resources
More information about the Journeyperson Financial Incentive Program is available at: https://www.nsapprenticeship.ca/tradespersons/tradesperson-supports#open_accordion5
Journeyperson Financial Incentive Program FAQ: https://www.nsapprenticeship.ca/sites/default/files/files/JPFIFAQ.pdf
