EDUCATION & TRAINING
In March 2015 a joint meeting was held with New Brunswick Roofing Contractors Association and the Apprenticeship and Occupational Branch of the government of New Brunswick to discuss industry issues with the roofing apprentice trade. These included lack of interest in the program and communication breakdown between the apprenticeship counsellors, contractors, and apprentices. Industry listed issues that they saw in relation to the quality of apprentices that the contractors were getting after they had completed the apprenticeship program, large failure rate in the program, curriculum out of date, not knowing when the blocks were being run, lack of skilled labourers, lack of candidates for the apprenticeship program, and poor attendance in the apprenticeship program. It was very clear from all involved that they wanted this to change.
The rebirth of the roofing apprenticeship program began with the contractors taking a “head on” approach and getting involved in the program. The Association became involved as the communication network between the Apprenticeship and Occupational Branch and the Contractors.
In August 2016 the Contractors purchased a building at 1010 Fairville Blvd in Saint John. This building would house the office of the New Brunswick Roofing Contractors Association, the Master Roofers Guarantee of New Brunswick Ltd., as well as be the Roofing Training Centre for the Province of New Brunswick Apprenticeship Program. It would consist of offices as well as a classroom and a 3,000 sq. ft. practical area that the apprentices could actual work on a variety of roof mockups.
Renovations began in March 2017 and the facility was ready to receive students by the end of 2017.
A memorandum of understanding was signed with the New Brunswick Community College to be affiliated with the college. The first block of students started at the new state of the art facility in January 2018.
APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING
SAFETY TRAINING
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
QUALITY ASSURANCE OBSERVER TRAINING
