News

Pilot Ship Repair Entry Level Training Program (SRELT) Launched at IMTARC

Resource Training Organization (RTO) Press Release
For Immediate Release: October 23, 2013

Victoria, BC - On September 30th, the first 14 students started in the Ship Repair Entry Level Training (SRELT) pilot program in Victoria at the Industrial Marine Training and Applied Research Centre (IMTARC).
This pilot will run until December 20th with the participation of labour unions, ship repair employers, ASETS (Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training) holders and other agencies. Funding to develop the program was provided by Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Development Program.

This entry level program will provide a gateway for students to enter into careers in the shipbuilding & repair industry. By possessing entry level training for the shipyards, individuals will have the necessary “work readiness skills” that employers require.
The program will cover four main themes: industry safety, industry environmental considerations, industry certification (i.e. fork lift training, aerial boom lift), and problem solving related to situations in the sector.
Classroom-based training will take place at IMTARC and hands-on/industry immersion training will be carried out at the Esquimalt Graving Dock and other shipyards. A consortium of institutions has been contracted by IMTARC to develop and instruct the pilot program. Both Camosun College and BCIT will provide instruction along with industry experts.

“The launch of SRELT is a milestone” said Dr. Tom Roemer, Vice-President Strategic Development at Camosun. “A consortium of four institutions, namely Camosun, BCIT, Vancouver Island University and North Island College, has worked jointly with industry for many months to develop the curriculum”.
“The RTO has been working with the marine sector to identify and develop relevant pathways to ensure the demand for the skilled workers in the shipbuilding and repair industry is met” said Doug MacLaren, CEO, RTO. “This pilot project, supported through our IMTARC facility, will continue to serve that purpose and provide a stepping stone to further career opportunities within the sector”.

IMTARC is a new 4,000 square foot facility that opened in February 2013 adjacent to the Esquimalt Graving Dock. Its primary role is to identify, on an ongoing basis, industry requirements and then aggregate demand to enable cost effective and efficient service delivery to its customers. The RTO is acting as an incubator to set up and establish IMTARC’s operations with the intent of a smooth transition to an industry led organization.

The RTO is sanctioned as an Industry Training Organization (ITO) by the Industry Training Authority (ITA) and oversees the apprenticeship programs within the resource sector industries including shipbuilding and repair, mining and smelting, oil and gas, pulp and paper, solid wood and utilities.

For more information contact:
Michelle Skelly, Communications Manager
Phone: (604) 455-0075; email: mskelly@rtobc.com