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The following strategies are intended to address the issues identified in this study by creating an environment in which quality workmanship is valued, there are sufficient numbers of skilled Insulators to meet demand, and the industry is offering quality assurance to its clients.

1. Creating Demand For Insulator Work: Education Strategy for Clients and Those Who Influence Demand for Insulator Work

The industry needs to begin by creating an environment in which quality insulation work is valued. The connection between energy savings and insulating work need to be made to those who are in a position to influence design of projects and demand for Insulators such as clients, contractors, engineers, architects, and those responsible for building codes. In addition to an education campaign, the industry could offer an energy audit program that demonstrates return on investment.

Task: To develop an education strategy including:

• Identification of target audiences;

• Creation of messages;

• Production of a marketing package;

• Development of an energy audit program.

2. Ensuring Adequate Supply of New Insulators: Recruitment Strategy

Once the industry has created an environment in which quality insulation work is valued and the link is made between energy savings and insulation, there should be an increase in demand for highly skilled Insulators. Add this work expansion to the forecasted labour shortages, and the Insulators will face added pressure to increase the number of new entrants to the trade in order to meet demand. To accomplish this will require a comprehensive recruitment strategy that accesses the broadest possible labour pool including youth, women, Aboriginal people, and racial minorities. The strategy must begin with image enhancement to increase knowledge of the trade as a viable career option.

Task: To develop a recruitment strategy including:

• Identification of target audiences (youth, parents, guidance counsellors, women, Aboriginal People, racial minorities);

• Creation of messages;

• Production of national and provincial promotional packages;

• Identification of opportunities to present the industry’s message.

3. Giving New Insulators a Good Start: Apprenticeship Enhancement Strategy

An environment where quality work is valued means the industry must also have a training system that can create the skilled Insulators required. Effective training begins with the apprenticeship system. The Insulating industry requires an apprenticeship system that is consistent across the country to facilitate worker mobility. The small numbers of apprentices in some provinces present a challenge in making apprenticeship programs viable. The industry will have to find ways to ensure apprenticeship training is accessible; this may mean a regional approach in some areas of the country and supporting that approach with some form of travel subsidy.

Task: To create an apprenticeship program that meets the needs of the industry.

• Establish apprenticeship programs in those provinces currently that do not have a program;

• Explore options for a regional approach;

• Explore the feasibility of a fund to cover traveling costs for training;

• Lobby provincial/territorial authorities for compulsory certification of the trade;

• Explore the feasibility of a national core curriculum;

• Investigate means of ensuring apprentices are exposed to all aspects of the trade during on-the-job training (e.g. inter-regional cooperation, rotation of apprentices amongst employers);

• Educate the workforce on the value of completing apprenticeship training.

4. Building Skills in the Current Workforce: Journeyperson Upgrading Strategy

As with apprenticeship, the challenge is to make training programs available in places where the number of Insulators is small. The feasibility of a travel fund should be explored to assist journeypersons with the cost of travelling to take training. The industry needs to consider developing training programs nationally to make effective use of resources and to ensure a consistent high quality of training. Alternative delivery methods should be explored such as distance learning, and a mobile training facility to make training more accessible. Journeypersons need to be educated on the importance of upgrading skills.

Task: To encourage journeypersons to upgrade skills and make upgrading courses available and accessible.

• Investigate alternative delivery methods;

• Explore the feasibility of a fund to cover traveling costs for training; Develop national training programs for use in all provinces/territories;

• Develop partnerships with training providers;

• Consider a regional training strategy;

• Educate journeypersons on the value of upgrading skills.

5. Guaranteeing Our Work In Order To Create More Demand: Quality Assurance Strategy

Once the industry has successfully created a demand for quality insulation work, it could offer a guarantee of quality, but only if the work is done according to proper specifications. A quality assurance program could prove to be a competitive edge for the industry and would encourage the workforce to obtain formal training.

Task: To offer an industry quality assurance program.

• Study the “peer review” process used in Quebec;

• Develop a quality assurance program for the Insulator industry.

6. Learning From Across Canada: National Clearinghouse Strategy

The industry has identified the need for some initiatives to be undertaken at a national and provincial level (e.g. development of national training programs, quality assurance program). It will be necessary to have a mechanism to accomplish these tasks and others that may be identified such as monitoring jurisdictional decisions and industry trends, engaging in mutual gains discussions outside of collective bargaining, disseminating useful information across the country, and liaising with national organizations such as the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) and the Construction Sector Council. Although the industry currently has a national contractor association as well as a union structure, it is necessary to be able to bring labour and management together to successfully implement the recommendations contained in this report as well as any further work requiring a national perspective.

Task: To develop a national structure to undertake initiatives on behalf of the industry.

• Explore possible organizational and funding models for a national joint labour/management structure.