November 22, 2024
Manitoba Government Announces Recipients of 2024 Apprenticeship Awards of Distinction
Apprenticeship Manitoba honoured two business and three individual award recipients last night at the 18th annual Awards of Distinction hosted by the Apprenticeship and Certification Board at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg, Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation Minister Jamie Moses announced today.
“The skilled trades move our province forward and apprenticeship supports safe and high-quality training for workers,” said Moses. “As the Manitoba government makes strides toward our commitment to create 10,000 jobs in the skilled trades, the roles of apprentices, journeypersons, employers, unions and training providers are critical in meeting the needs of our growing economy.”
Every year, the Awards of Distinction celebrates contributions of employers, journeypersons and technical training instructors who have helped develop Manitoba’s skilled trades workforce.
Following a call for nominations earlier this year, 38 business and individuals were nominated by colleagues, apprentices and industry members. A selection committee comprised of Apprenticeship and Certification Board members and Apprenticeship Manitoba staff then selected the recipients.
The 2024 awards of distinction were presented in the following categories:
- rural employer of the year: Darse Ltd. (heavy duty equipment technician);
- urban employer of the year: Green Department HVAC (gasfitter);
- technical training instructor of the year: Eric Swanson, Red River College Polytechnic (carpentry);
- rural journeyperson of the year: Kevin Wasylenko (landscape horticulturalist); and
- urban journeyperson of the year: Ashley McCartney (esthetician).
Hilary Peach, a Canadian author and certified welder, addressed the gathering of approximately 350 people. Peach spoke about her two decades working in the boilermaker trade across North America and highlighted the technical side of the welding trade.
“I am thrilled to celebrate tonight alongside our award recipients and their families,” said Moses. “Our government is committed to strengthening and modernizing the apprenticeship and certification system, so it continues to offer pathways to good jobs for Manitobans for many more years to come.”
For more information on Apprenticeship Manitoba, visit www.Manitoba.ca/apprenticeship.
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