The Transport Canada Training Needs Assessment was completed in response to the progressive extensions to regulation stemming from the Canada Shipping Act (2001).
The study examines the over 50,000 national fish harvester workforce as well as the entire British Columbia on-water marine industry and the complex certification requirements of the industry.
The assessment studies the extent of compliance of fish harvesters for certificates as well as estimating training capacities from training institutions based on present and future industry needs for each province.
With the study complete the CCPFH is now releasing the results of the assessment.
"In order to increase compliance with Transport Canada regulations and develop training, we needed to focus efforts to obtain numbers and present the data for everyone to use" said Martin Picard, Project Manager of the CCPFH.
The CCPFH hired Camprof Inc. to to assess the training needs’ requirements of Canadian fish harvesters. Camprof Inc. came across several challenges during the creation of the document such as: new certification requirements were implemented during the course of the study, inconsistencies in the terms and measurements used by different federal departments and the different ways data fields were interpreted.
However, once the challenges were overcome, the data within the assessment presented a clear indication of what will be required from the industry and what actions will be necessary when planning training to assist the industry in complying within the set timeframe.
"The data collected for this study will serve as a national database for anyone planning training delivery” said John Sutcliffe, Executive Director of the CCPFH. “The Council expects to update the data annually for use by members, learning institutions and safety associations.’’
The study concludes with clear recommendations that will necessitate greater co-operation between industry, training facilities and related government departments to successfully achieve compliance.
