Victoria, British Columbia — A new set of laws designed to crack down on skilled trades certification in British Columbia was given royal assent on Thursday, officially starting the clock on uncertified auto body techs to get their training in gear.
As part of this new legislation, the Industry Training Authority Act will now fall under the umbrella of SkilledTradesBC and require workers to register as an apprentice or be a certified journeyperson to work in one of the 10 recognized mechanical, electrical and automotive trades.
The requirements will be implemented in phases between 2022 and 2024 and will provide workers with a year to register as an apprentice or earn some sort of journeyperson certification.
The initial phase of this plan will involve workers in mechanical and electrical fields, as well as automotive sector workers, including heavy-duty equipment technicians, automotive service technicians and autobody and collision technicians.
In February, the Industry Training Authority hired five new apprenticeship advisors and received a $5 million government investment to improve B.C.’s skilled trades landscape.
As it stands, no official start date for the first phase of certification requirements has been specified.
