NSCC applications skyrocket
Allan Laws has spent his entire working life within the confines of the hulking Bowater Mersey paper plant.
Laws entered the South Shore factory fresh from high school at age 20, and since then, the rhythm of his days has been as predictable as the thrum of machinery that has surrounded him for the past 27 years.
With the plant’s closure three weeks ago, though, he is seeking a new order to the days that sprawl out before him, and Laws is hoping that a stint in school will propel him toward a career in the shipbuilding trades.
But, like many of his former co-workers, he is finding that getting into trades school is not so easy.
Nova Scotia Community College has seen an enormous increase in demand for shipbuilding-related programs since the federal government announced last October that the Irving-owned Halifax Shipyard won a $25-billion contract to build the next generation of Canada’s naval vessels.
Bruce Tawse, the community college’s academic vice-president, said the school immediately felt the impact of that news. “Shortly after the announcement, there was a huge upswing because I think everyone thought everything was going to begin almost immediately,” Tawse said. “So, yes, we’ve had some significant increases in applications.”
“Significant” is an apt description for the explosion in applications.
Compared with this time last year, applications for the metal fabrication program at the community college are up 368 per cent. Applications for the welding program are up 97 per cent, applications for the pipe trades program are up by 20 per cent and applications for the electrical construction and industrial certificate are up 14 per cent.
The college maintains waiting lists but caps them when they reach roughly the number of seats in the program.
Anyone who wants to get into those four programs this fall is simply out of luck, but the college is accepting applications for September 2013.
That’s too late for Laws and his former co-workers.
For many, severance pay and unemployment insurance won’t tide them through a yearlong wait.
“When that runs out, there’s nothing,” Laws said Sunday in a phone interview from his home in Beach Meadows, near Liverpool.
“When you have a family, a wife and kids and a home to take care of, as everybody here does, you can’t do that with no money coming in.”
As the head of Local 259 of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, Laws has met regularly with the former workers, many of whom are in the same predicament.
“I had 20 people who said they’d take anything,” he said. “They said they would take any course that was available. There’s a lot of desperation because a lot of people realize there’s no jobs in this local area.”
The provincial Labour and Advanced Education Department says it is investing in programs to train workers for shipbuilding-related jobs.
In an emailed statement sent Friday, the department noted that the provincial budget includes $2.75 million in new funding for the community college designated for shipbuilding preparations.
The department has also introduced a website, careers.novascotia.ca, to help connect residents with training and employment opportunities.
On Friday, Premier Darrell Dexter announced the province is spending more than $460,000 to train young workers for the boat building industry.
But Laws is frustrated that the community college isn’t boosting its student numbers now in order to train workers for the shipyard.
“They’re falling short. They know that these jobs are coming. It should be their priority to get training for these jobs.”
But Tawse said the college is just trying to be responsible by limiting the number of students in the programs.
The community college works closely with industry players and the Labour and Advanced Education Department in order to match the number of graduates with the number of required employees.
Tawse said the college is still waiting to hear how many workers Irving will require for the shipbuilding contracts, and in which fields they will be needed.
“When we know those numbers, that’s when we’ll be able to move ahead and add extra sections.
“To be honest, it would be very easy to just add another couple of hundred welding seats. But we need to make sure the graduates are coming out at a time when the shipbuilding companies actually need them.
“It’s that dilemma that we can create graduates, but if there’s no work, they might head off west.”
But Laws said that’s exactly what he and others are considering right now. A local employment counselling agency is trying to co-ordinate training courses for former Bowater Mersey workers, but if that plan doesn’t come to fruition, many are eyeing Alberta for work and on-the-job apprenticeships.
With a seven- and five-year-old at home, moving west isn’t an attractive option for Laws. But he said he’ll do it if he has to.
“People are going to have to either get the training now, or they’re going to end up having to move away and get jobs elsewhere, which is sad. It’s a sad situation when Nova Scotia is going to lose basically 300 people to Alberta.
“This whole town will be made up of women and children.”
THE NUMBERS
Number of applications / number of seats (number of people on waiting list)
Electrical construction and industrial certificate: 1,700 / 220 (300)
Metal fabrication: 350 / 40 (30)
Pipe trades: 375 / 40 (30)
Welding: 1,000 / 100 (115)
Source: Nova Scotia Community College data updated in July
HA GOOD LUCK GETTIN IN
Submitted by frustrated bigtime on July 9, 2012 - 5:58am.
I've complained for years how lame it is that there is a 2 year waiting list for lots of NSCC courses, so much for pumping up the economy however we can hire from overseas so thats much better.
DEPENDANTS
Submitted by Feedback on July 9, 2012 - 6:17am.
We sure rely on government money, provincial and federal.
Sure Do
Submitted by law on July 9, 2012 - 9:35am.
I remember a few years back someone in Politics referring to us as defeatists here in the east, the cycle continues I am afraid. We seem to be unable to accomplish anything without the government cheques in hot pursuit.
For clarity that Government money is really yours and mine, through our tax dollars, being squandered by the elected ones. You know, the elected ones I mean, the ones placed in a position by US to do as WE that elected them, want US to do!!!
When is the last time a Politician asked YOU how they want YOU to spend YOUR money. LOL
Sooner or later here in our little world someone has to make Politicians accountable, far more then simply not re electing them.
as a current nscc student
Submitted by rob123 on July 9, 2012 - 7:11am.
i can say that trades isnt the only trade they are lacking in. many of the other trades could easily use another class. look at the waiting lists. that coupled with an administration that cares more about.........................i'm not sure what they care about.it sure isnt administration...getting anything done through them is the most unbelievable nightmare.
and i am a full time student, i hear that the part timers are having a far worse time getting what they paid for.
forgot to add
Submitted by rob123 on July 9, 2012 - 7:04am.
nscc has these "waiting" lists. only thing is thast once the class gets so far along the list is dropped. they DO NOT carry it along to the next year. everyone has to start fresh. i had to apply for a trade 2 years down the road to get in.
please tell the province not to give them any more money. not until they revamp their business model. revamp it to show that the staff are NOT the most important things there. to show they have some that can make decisions,etc,etc,etc.
Foresight or will it be hindsight
Submitted by David23 on July 9, 2012 - 7:34am.
Soon we will be reading that Nova Scotians don’t have the skills needed for the ship building contract. Then foreign workers, some with devious credentials, will be taken into the province to fill the jobs while our young people collect welfare. Sounds like a plan to me.
Pathetic
Submitted by Alberta Bound on July 9, 2012 - 8:24am.
That is truly a pathetic stance to take by Bruce Tawse, the community college’s academic vice-president. In his exact words...
"To be honest, it would be very easy to just add another couple of hundred welding seats. But we need to make sure the graduates are coming out at a time when the shipbuilding companies actually need them.
“It’s that dilemma that we can create graduates, but if there’s no work, they might head off west.”
So, rather than training people and enabling them to head out west to fill the thousands of jobs that are being filled by foreigners, they'll limit the size of classes to produce only the number of graduates that are required for jobs in Nova Scotia. If the "ship-building" football (jobs) are kicked down the road another 3-4 years, I guess people are just expected to sit around and wait. This an example of the small or narrow minded thinking that exists in Nova Scotia at the management level.
You've had a long time to go to school
Submitted by firstandlast on July 9, 2012 - 8:35am.
It's not the college's fault these people never bothered going to school before now and why should they just get to enroll into college because things got tough for them? These baby boomers who didn't need education or experience when they started out are so selfish if they think they should just get the chance to enroll because their situation has changed, damn, you just got huge bailouts from the taxpayers and now you want to try and take college spots from the young graduates who have to go to school as they CAN NOT get a job without experience?! You chose this path in life and unfortunately it looks like you might have chose wrong, but that is no reason for the college to feel it owes you people anything, enroll and get in line like everyone else., welcome to the 21st century.
expand and accelerate?
Submitted by jsa on July 9, 2012 - 8:45am.
As these programs are over-subscribed is it feasible to expand the programs and accelerate passage through them without affecting quality of the graduates? Many of these workers already have a skill set that might overlap skills in the new programs they hope to enroll in.If three satellite schools were set up to screen applicants and assess their current skills and abilities, it might be possible to accommodate many more of them."Teachers" are seconded all the time; if there are retired tradespeople or even those that would like to try some teaching as opposed to picking up the tools each day, they could be seconded to instruct at these satellite locations.The NS government would have to fund this in its entirety; industry could help by allowing journey people a "sabbatical" to teach for a couple of years and return to their workplace upon completion of their secondment.With certification in WHMIS, first aid, confined spaces,... and adequate math and reading skills, many of these applicants could be credited with these and allowed to focus on the trade specific skills that they hope to acquire. Custom training is done all the time at NSCC; why not help a dire situation by doing something outside the box. Simply saying that they can apply next semester is not sufficient. By condensing the program without compromising it more students can be enrolled;graduate sooner; enter the workforce earlier and remain in the Maritimes to pay their share of taxes and raise their families.Snapping your fingers won't get this done, but it seems preferable to steady as she goes.
NSCC administration is a dismal failure
Submitted by Alberta Bound on July 9, 2012 - 9:13am.
It seems like the NSCC administration is a dismal failure if they're only looking at producing graduates who can work in Nova Scotia. Where is the foresight or long-range planning to produce graduates who can work anywhere in the world similar to what other countries are doing. Why haven't they been teaching the courses necessary to fill the thousands of lagging behind instead of leading the way in terms of producing graduates who can work in the oilpatch? NSCC is a dismal failure in this regard!
Does Irving dictate the class size and the courses that are taught...it appears so based on this article.
If NSCC plans to teach courses so that graduates can only find work in Nova Scotia, then they should be teaching courses related to the food and hospitality industries and Walart related courses...and berry and apple/potato picking. And I sure as hell hope that that teacing a course on how to correctly fill out the E/I forms.
The administration at NSCC better wake up. It's a global world with people having to travel or move all over the world to work.
And for the person who just commented on how the baby boomers don't deserve and preferntial treatment, it's these very same people who have mortgages to pay...the very same people whose tax money was used to build these community colleges in the first place.
Pretty straightforward
Submitted by Rock on July 9, 2012 - 9:29am.
This is all so easy to understand. Nova Scotia lacks jobs due to outmigration of smart businesses and incompetent managing of our economy and education system by our government. The only jobs here are 'potential' shipbuilding jobs in the loosely defined future. Even those jobs, which I'm sure will be great if and when they materialize, are federal welfare for work. They are not a result of private sector innovation. Even the convention centre is heavily government funded. It's too risky for most to hang around waiting while their EI or savings dry up. Combine this dilemma with a federal clawback in EI, and the problem intensifies tenfold.
It's a sad state of affairs when the main boom of potential employment is 100% (federal) government money, yet so much (provincial) government money has been poured down the drain into the very industries that collapsed or relocated and ultimately led to the lack of jobs and outmigration of businesses. Add in the overwhelming expense of doing business in NS and the massive shortage of training programs, and you realize that this province is in absolute shambles. This is a clear case of chronic, cyclical government dependency. Government dependency isn't all bad if and only if the government is competent. Our provincial government isn't fit to run a hot dog stand. Simply put, a dropping tide scuttles all boats. Time to abandon ship and get the heck out of NS.
Antiquated thinking
Submitted by Relic on July 9, 2012 - 9:35am.
Alberta Bound, your comments are right on the money. And if these folks leave for out west with a sour taste in their mouths because of how the narrow-minded NSCC educators treated them, they'll be even less likely to want to come back. Yup, well done once again, NS.
Ship building
Submitted by leftiessuk on July 9, 2012 - 9:57am.
I hope they aren't putting the cart in front of the horse here.
The last I seen on the issue, there were "union" problems at the yards.
Union problems? Imagine that!
what a joke!
Submitted by goodgirlalh on July 9, 2012 - 10:09am.
seems to me that they didnt mind flooding the market with people from other courses with no outlook... I've gone to NSCC twice now, once for business and eneded up working in farming for 10 years, went back to take heavy equipment operator two years later im still unempolyed and having to pick up my family to leave this govement ruined province for good!!!! great job NSCC and the powers that be... another family gone!!!
Only so many instructors
Submitted by MickeyNS on July 9, 2012 - 10:39am.
Also the space requirements for a trades course are higher than in administrative or knowledge skill courses. They need labs or workshops to get trained in.
Also theyw ould have to build more trade schools.
They should start offering this in high school, and try and reduce teh trade school portion to one year.
the proposed trades courses at Cole HArbour high will be a good start.
While I was going to school I
Submitted by South shore on July 9, 2012 - 10:44am.
While I was going to school I had friends with good jobs and nice cars. It did appear that the paper industry was going to last forever 30 years ago, and if you wanted to work in such a place no education was needed.
Since the Prov. government has lots of money to throw around education might be the best place for it, even if mill employees head west most will keep their families here, spending that big pay cheque in NS.
NSCC is Not even trying to expand ship courses
Submitted by pitstop on July 9, 2012 - 10:51am.
NSCC is only offering ONE pipe fitting course(at Akererly) and one steam fitting course (at the Strait) with NO plans to expand.
Their arms are also tied and can't even take the most qualified applicants either. With this crazy O2 school program guaranteeing a prime NSCC slot for every student (Special Admissions Status) that receives a diploma, NSCC has to cram their desired courses with students with NO proven aptitude for pipefitting. Same for metal fab, electrical and welding. Simply crazy, as it leaves these Bowater Mersey workers who actually possess a proven work ethic with a don't mind getting their hands dirty attitude out in the frigid cold.
The very least Dexter could do for these Mersey workers is give them "Special Admissions" status with preferred preference to get these guys loaded for September. The babysat O2 Program graduates (with little or no work ethic) can be rebooked some other time or told to take their 2nd preference course!
Quite simply, NSCC should be loading its PRIME courses with the most qualified, the best aptitude, and the most deserving instead of being forced to load by the Dept of Education O2 program graduation requirements.
C'mon Dexter, stop dithering and DEMAND some quality slots for the Bowater workforce.
The shipyard can't keep
Submitted by thisisapolicestate on July 9, 2012 - 11:33am.
The shipyard can't keep workers, 6 or 7 quit every week to go out west or over to Newfoundland.