Skilled Trades Employment Program

The STEP program was developed in partnership with the Government of British Columbia, the Government of Canada and the British Columbia Construction Association and funding is provided for by the British Columbia Labour Market Agreement. The British Columbia Construction Association represents over 2000 member employers from all aspects of the Construction industry. The British Columbia Construction Association has direct access to all of its members, which means that STEP has direct access to those members. STEP has grown into several similar but much more targeted initiatives now under the STEP banner.

ISTEP or the Immigrant Skilled Trades Employment Program was the original pilot that began in 2006 to great success. ISTEP was developed to answer to the need for skilled workers of employers in the Construction Industry and was developed as a partnership between the Construction Sector Council and the British Columbia Construction Association. ISTEP works with landed immigrants and employers to match existing skills to the needs of employers. Through the Foreign Credential Recognition Program ISTEP is able to quickly assess skilled workers for job readiness and connect them with the training they may need to be job ready. The primary objective of ISTEP is the development of a highly skilled workforce and a safe workplace environment that contributes to the organizational productivity and individual prosperity of the members of the construction industry.

The STEP program has continued to grow since 2006, creating several initiatives following the model developed by ISTEP. These initiatives include STEP for Women, ASTEP for aboriginal workers, and EUSTEP for European foreign workers. The STEP program has been very successful, exceeding all expectations for success.

The existing initiatives have been moved under one roof and the STEP program can now serve Immigrants and all Canadian residents wanting a career in the construction industry or any of the 140 Industry Training Authority recognized trades.

STEP is so successful because of the way it works with people and industry; with direct access to employers across the province our Trade Employment Specialists are able to connect skilled workers with companies and businesses in need of those skills. Each Trades Employment Specialist or TES, is certified trades person themselves. They understand the work, the industry and the challenges faced in getting into the skilled trades. TESs continue to work with clients and employers even after they have been placed. They will provide guidance and support mitigating the risk of a new hire and easing the transition into a new position for the worker. STEP's focus is to get people working in careers they want. The relationship forged between the worker, the employer and the TES is the real strength of the STEP program. Your TES will be there for you to help you access training, introduce you to employment opportunities, and overcome any challenges along the way. STEP can help you to access immediate funding to eliminate any road blocks to securing a job. Your success is our success. Contact us to find out what STEP can do for you.