As you are aware, Economic Action Plan 2013 announced that the Government of Canada was changing its approach to procurement by introducing measures to support the use of apprentices in federal construction and maintenance contracts. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has been collaborating with Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) and Defence Construction Canada (DCC) to implement a phased-in, industry-informed approach to support the use of apprentices through federal procurement for construction and maintenance. Your association provided valuable information and feedback for moving forward on this important commitment.
We would like to inform you that on June 30, 2014, the PWGSC and DCC Apprentice Procurement Initiative was announced in the What’s New section of the PWGSC Buy and Sell website: https://buyandsell.gc.ca/new-procurement-initiative-promotes-the-use-of-apprentices-in-federal-construction-and-maintenance-contracts
Phase 1
Phase 1 of the initiative consists of the promotion of apprentices to employers and the collection of baseline evidence about the use of apprentices in federal contracts.
At time of bidding
As of June 30, 2014, Requests for Proposals (RFP) and Invitations to Tender (ITT) related to PWGSC and DCC federal maintenance and construction requirements include Voluntary Certification in which bidders agree to use, and require its subcontractors to use, reasonable commercial efforts to hire and train registered apprentices. Bidders will now agree to strive to fully utilize allowable apprenticeship ratios and to respect any hiring requirements prescribed by provincial or territorial statutes. Bidders are also asked to voluntarily provide the planned number of apprentices and the trades of those apprentices required for a contract.
After contract award
Contractors are encouraged to maintain and provide records on the number of apprentices that were hired to work on a contract and their trade specialty using the Voluntary Report provided by PWGSC or DCC in the contract material. This data is to be submitted to the Contracting Authority six months after contract award or at the end of the contract, whichever comes first.
Request for Information on Buy and Sell
ESDC, PWGSC, and DCC released a Request for Information July 3, 2014 on Buy and Sell to further gather baseline data on the hiring and training of apprentices in federal construction and maintenance contracts. Your members are invited to complete this short survey on http://tpsgc-pwgsc1.sondages-surveys.ca/surveys/osmepd/apprenticeship-rfi-questionnaire/?l=en.
Phase II
The information collected through the Voluntary Certification and Report, as well as the Request for Information will be used by ESDC, PWGSC, and DCC to support work to gather baseline data on the hiring and training of apprentices in federal construction and maintenance contracts in order to inform an ongoing approach (Phase II).
We trust this information is helpful and we will continue to keep you informed as work continues to develop and implement Phase II of this initiative.
Catherine Scott
Director General
Labour Market Integration Directorate
Skills and Employment Branch
Employment and Social Development Canada
catherine.scott@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca