Skilled Trades Certification
TRADES Designation Process
We have an expanded mandate as SkilledTradesBC to ensure British Columbia has the skilled workforce to meet the demand for 85,000 more tradespeople over the next ten years. Part of this mandate includes implementing Skilled Trades Certification which will continue to build a diversified and sustainable skilled labour force through certification.
On behalf of the Government of B.C., SkilledTradesBC is introducing a process to add more trades to the list of designated mandatory trades. Applications may come from B.C. businesses, labour organizations, industry associations, Indigenous organizations and communities that work in, or have an interest in, the trades.
A maximum of ten trades will be selected to move from the application to the detailed assessment phase. Final recommendations will be made to Government in early 2024. See the Timeline section below for more details.
Application Requirements
There are two main components to the application: letters of support and industry perspective.
Letters of Support | Industry Perspective |
|---|---|
Applicants must submit two letters of support:
Employers offering letters of support must employ tradespeople and/or sponsor apprentices. Applicants may also include two optional letters of support from unique constituency groups with an interest in this trade. | Applicants will be asked to answer 7 questions to help SkilledTradesBC understand their organization’s perspective on why the trade nominated in their application should be designated as a Skilled Trades Certification trade. |
For more details on application requirements, please see the Application Form.
Important Dates + Timeline
Application Process
Download and fill out the Application Form.
A template for Letter of Support is also included.
Submit your application to STCapplication [at] skilledtradesbc.ca.
Important Dates + Timeline
Applications Open - May 11, 2023
Applications Close - June 30, 2023
Webinar
On Tuesday, May 23, SkilledTradesBC hosted an informational webinar to go over the process and requirements. Watch a video of the recording in the link below.
Frequently Asked Questions
SkilledTradesBC will evaluate the trade identified based on its ability to meet the evaluation criteria and matrix. This will be an extensive process over the upcoming months. We will then recommend the selected trades to the SkilledTradesBC Board and then to the Minister for consideration. If passed, final confirmation will be provided by the Lieutenant Governor.
This is an open process and applications may come from B.C. businesses, labour organizations, industry associations, Indigenous organizations and communities that work in, or have an interest in, the trades.
The application requires a minimum of two letters of support – one letter from a small-sized employer (1-49 employees) and one letter from a medium-sized employer (50-499 employees).
Employers must employ tradespersons and/or sponsor apprentices.
Applicants may also submit two additional letters optionally from other organizations such as Indigenous communities or training providers. See Application Form for more details.
A maximum of 10 trades will be selected to move from the application phase to the detailed assessment phase. The final trades will be announced by the Government of B.C. in spring 2024.
Yes, each organization will need to complete a separate application for each trade nomination they make. If you know other organizations who are nominating a trade your organization is also interested in nominating, we encourage you to work together and consider writing a letter of support.
Near the end of the STC Trades Designation process, SkilledTradesBC will be recommending up to 10 trades to our Board and the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills for consideration.
Yes, this process will remain open and there may be more trades selected in the future.
No, each application must nominate only one Certificate of Qualification trade.
This page provides the most up-to-date information on the full application details and submission process. You can also email STCapplication [at] skilledtradesbc.catarget="_self" for support and additional questions.