Apprentices are working significantly more hours than required on several major construction projects in Manitoba, according to new figures released by the provincial government.
Jobs Minister Jamie Moses said early data shows apprentices accounted for 21 per cent of total work hours across four school construction projects and the emergency room expansion at Victoria Hospital in Winnipeg. That figure is about twice the minimum requirement set under the province’s jobs agreement.
Manitoba is also reporting progress in the skilled trades more broadly. The province says it has recorded its highest number of newly certified skilled trades workers in five years, along with its highest number of apprentices in five years who are women, Indigenous people or people with disabilities.
Tanya Palson, executive director of the Manitoba Building Trades Council, said the 2025 Manitoba Jobs Agreement helped provide the data needed to gain a clearer picture of activity on construction sites.
Palson said the unionized construction sector had originally negotiated a minimum apprenticeship requirement of 10 per cent because there was no reliable data showing how many hours apprentices were actually working.
The Manitoba Jobs Agreement has nevertheless faced criticism from industry associations, which have raised a number of concerns about the program. Among them are additional administrative and compliance requirements, including more detailed reporting on the workforce.
