Providing companies with industry-savvy solutions that have helped them compete for over 25 years, EMC has earned its spot as Canada’s largest manufacturing consortium. Consider just two of its innovative programs with real appeal to Atlantic Canada: WILWorks Skilled Trades in Advanced Manufacturing, and WILWorks Youth in Manufacturing.

Deploying employer-led training and mentorship, WILWorks Skilled Trades in Advanced Manufacturing is a pre-apprenticeship program for youth (15-29) funded by the Government of Canada’s Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy and available to all manufacturers across Canada, not just EMC members.

Says WILWorks Skilled Trades in Advanced Manufacturing Coordinator Julie Smith: “We know a lot of retirements are happening within skilled trades and we need specific skills for advanced manufacturing. The skills we’ve included have been identified by our subject matter experts and industry as essential for advanced manufacturing in the future.”

In fact, flexibility is key to the program. With access to self-directed e-learning focused on introductory technical skills for industrial mechanic millwrights and industrial electricians, participants also gain valuable experience by working with their employers’ existing staff, who function as trainers and mentors with real-world, hands-on applications. In the process, employers – who qualify for wage subsidies of 50 per cent of participant wages to a maximum of $5,000 for a training period of 8 to 20 weeks – are able to find the best fits for their organizations.

 

The goal of WILWorks Youth in Manufacturing, funded by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), is to increase awareness of the manufacturing sector as a career choice in this region.

 

What’s more, incumbent employees are eligible to participate in their own right. “This provides them with an opportunity to learn about the full scope of trades within their organization and see, for themselves, what the pathways for career advancement really are,” Smith says. “On the employer side, it provides a chance to preview someone and see their skill sets for a particular role before committing to it.”

The goal of WILWorks Youth in Manufacturing, funded by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), is to increase awareness of the manufacturing sector as a career choice in this region. “We provide people with the soft skills – like problem solving, accountability, and teamwork – to make the most of these opportunities,” says the program’s Coordinator April MacLeod.

WILWorks Youth in Manufacturing provides eligible pre-college or university participants (aged 16-20) with self-directed online training to support work placements. Participants gain valuable knowledge and micro-credentials by completing two online self-directed training programs during their term.

EMC’s Manufacturing Foundations (approximately 6 hours) certifies that the participant has developed an authentic understanding of what it takes to be successful in manufacturing and will have demonstrated employability soft skills in a manufacturing workplace. Lean Fundamentals (approximately 6-8 hours) certifies the learner has developed an understanding of the principles of lean thinking in a manufacturing environment. Atlantic Canadian employers, meanwhile, receive these mentorship training services at no cost for current employees and a financial incentive of up to $2,500 for each 1-10-week new hire.

 

“It is a really good opportunity for someone who’s not really sure what their future holds. And, yet, there are all of these incredible opportunities in this sector.”

—April MacLeod

 

Says MacLeod: “It is a really good opportunity for someone who’s not really sure what their future holds. And, yet, there are all of these incredible opportunities in this sector. Often manufacturers are also exporters and involved with international business. There are industrial products companies, food businesses, and foresters. They offer careers in finance, human resources, and high technology. The WILWorks Youth in Manufacturing program is being offered to Atlantic Canadian manufacturers to encourage them to introduce young people to “one or more of the many types of jobs in manufacturing.”

EMC is a unique, not-for-profit organization formed by manufacturers to provide industry development throughout Canada. As Canada’s largest and most active manufacturing consortium, it was founded on a commitment to collaboration, cooperation, teamwork, and—through programs like WILWorks Skilled Trades in Advanced Manufacturing and WILWorks Youth in Manufacturing—innovative leadership.