CAF-FCA Invites You to Attend a Unique International Dialogue
Apprenticeship in a Global Perspective: Engaging Employers and Investing in Apprenticeship Training

OTTAWA – August 12, 2009 - The best and brightest of our future labour force is competing in WorldSkills Calgary 2009. They are ready to take on the world! But are we ready for them???

If we want to attract and retain top talent so Canada can compete globally, we need to ensure there are opportunities to train. Apprenticeship training has long been successful on an international basis. Research suggests there are links between training and business performance. It works!

The future labour force is looking for respect and opportunity. Apprentices told the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum – Forum canadien sur l’apprentissage (CAF-FCA) that they are looking for employers who will help them achieve excellence through effective mentoring, diverse training experiences and career development. Apprentices often spoke very positively about employers, especially if they felt the employer was facilitating their progress and had goals for them such as certification and Red Seal endorsement.

Want to know what other countries are doing? Kick off the first day of international Competition at WorldSkills Calgary 2009 with the unique international dialogue Apprenticeship in a Global Perspective: Engaging Employers and Investing in Apprenticeship Training. Speakers include representatives from the U.K., New Zealand, South Africa and Canada. This CAF-FCA hosted event will be held on the morning of Wednesday, September 2nd at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) Polytechnic.

Bruce Sellery, respected business journalist and host of workopolis tv will lead the discussion and explore what works around the world on important apprenticeship topics. Guest panelists will join CAF-FCA in sharing their respective countries’ efforts and initiatives in employer engagement strategies, incentives for encouraging apprenticeship training and return on training investment studies.

This not-to-be-missed event will show you how apprenticeship training works in the U.K., New Zealand, South Africa and Canada. An investment in apprenticeship training works and it can work for you too! Don’t miss your chance – space is limited for this free event so register today! danielle_matheusik@caf-fca.org

This project was funded by the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program and with the generous support of Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC) and Government of Alberta.

Skills/Compétences Canada is Canada’s Member organization of WorldSkills International and selects and prepares competitors for the international competitions that take place every two years. In these competitions, Canadian youth demonstrate hands-on expertise, talent and determination, which showcase the many promising futures to be found in trades and technology. Skills/Compétences Canada began the planning process which established Alberta as the host of the 40th WorldSkills Competition. www.skillscanada.com

Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program, CAF-FCA is the only inclusive national body that brings together all players in apprenticeship training. CAF-FCA works under the guidance of its Board of Directors, who represent every aspect of the apprenticeship community. Our work has brought to light a number of key issues that affect apprenticeship training - such as perceived barriers to training; the business case for apprenticeship; and the importance of promoting apprenticeship training as a valued and respected choice for post-secondary education. For further information: http://www.caf-fca.org or to see recent study results - http://www.caf-fca.org/en/reports/it_pays_to_hire_an_apprentice.asp

For more information:
Margo Royce
Communications Manager
613-235-4004 ext. 207
margo_royce@caf-fca.org www.caf-fca.org