Nova Scotia removes red tape, reduces costs for skilled trades

The Province has eliminated the five-year certification renewal requirement for journeypersons in most compulsory trades, saving them time, money and paperwork. (Source: Province of Nova Scotia)

The Government of Nova Scotia announced Tuesday it will remove red tape and reduce costs for trades professionals in the province.

The province said it will immediately eliminate the five-year certification renewal requirement for journeypersons in most compulsory trades. These trades include plumbing, construction electrician and boilermaker. Certification renewal is still required every five years for blaster trade.

The elimination of the certification renewal will save workers in these trades’ money, time and paperwork, a news release from the province said.

Experienced professionals in more than 70 trades will also pay less to challenge their certification exam.

“Eliminating renewals and lowering fees removes unnecessary red tape for trades professionals,” said Nolan Young, minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration. “These common-sense changes save time and money, while helping more people gain certification and grow our skilled trades workforce.”

The changes will also help reduce administrative work for the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency.

“These changes simplify the certification process and remove unnecessary administrative steps for both tradespeople and our staff. By reducing red tape, we can put more focus on apprentices, employers and reducing response times,” said Michelle Bussey, CEO of Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency.

Nova Scotia began automatically recognizing provincial certifications from Alberta and Quebec for professionals in Red Seal skilled trades in July to help streamline the trades industry.

NSNDP Official Opposition Labour Critic, Paul Wozney said these changes are a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done.

“Giving skilled tradespeople a break on their certification fees is a good first step, but Nova Scotia’s archaic overtime laws mean the people who build our homes, hospitals and roads won’t choose to stay here when they can make hundreds of dollars more each month in almost any other province. Many trades workers have to put in 110 hours over a two-week period before seeing a single dime of overtime pay, and apprentices working toward a Red Seal are exempt from overtime pay altogether,” Wozney said.

Wozney said the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives reported Nova Scotia’s labour standards are lagging behind other provinces.

“We will continue fighting for workers and skilled tradespeople by pushing for fair overtime laws, a ban on scab labour, 10 paid sick days, and cost-of-living measures that make life affordable for all Nova Scotian workers.”

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