November 16, 2023
Manitoba Government Announces Recipients of 2023 Apprenticeship Awards of Distinction
Apprenticeship Manitoba honoured two businesses and three individuals last night at the 17th annual Awards of Distinction hosted by the Apprenticeship and Certification Board at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg, Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources Minister Jamie Moses announced today.
“I was honoured to celebrate the journeypersons, instructors and employers who work tirelessly to support the next generation of skilled tradespersons,” said Moses. “Building the skilled trades workforce in Manitoba is critical to building a strong, prosperous future for our province. That’s why our government is committed to creating good jobs all across Manitoba – jobs that build our province for the future and put food on the table for working families.”
The annual event celebrates the outstanding contributions made by the province’s employers, journeypersons and instructors while raising the public profile of apprenticeship and certification in the skilled trades in Manitoba, the minister noted.
A call for nominations earlier this year resulted in 37 nominees from colleagues, apprentices and community members. A selection committee comprised of Apprenticeship and Certification Board members and Apprenticeship Manitoba staff selected the recipients.
The 2023 awards of distinction were presented in the following categories:
- employer of the year: Bockstael Construction Ltd. (urban) and Paradise Landscape and Design (rural);
- instructor of the year: Guy Dowhy, Red River College Polytechnic;
- journeyperson of the year: Sam Yoshida, TENTEN Kitchen (urban) and R. Gerald Smith, Chown Electric Ltd. (rural).
Apprenticeship Manitoba welcomed Emily Chung, an Ontario-based journeyperson automotive service technician as the keynote speaker. Emily shared her journey on how she entered the trades as a second career, how people can be encouraged to enter the trades, and the communication skills needed to thrive in the industry.
For more information on Apprenticeship Manitoba, visit www.Manitoba.ca/apprenticeship.
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