‘We are Shipbuilders’ Campaign Kick Starts

The B.C. Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Board (SSRB), with support from the B.C. Ministry of Jobs, Tourism & Skills Training, is kicking off its We are Shipbuilders campaign with an online contest at WeareShipbuilders.ca.

Companies, including Seaspan, Point Hope Maritime, Meridian Marine Industries and others have donated six thousand dollars in cash prizes towards the “Get on Board!” contest.

Current and past employees of B.C.’s shipbuilding sector are encouraged to enter the contest by visiting weareshipbuilders.ca. Individuals can participate in the campaign and win a chance at one of three cash prizes with a total value of six thousand dollars by sharing a story, video, and/or survey about their experiences in the shipbuilding and ship repair industry.

“The shipbuilding workforce represents a cross-section of individuals from a wide-variety of jobs within the sector,” indicates Mark Wilson, SSRB Chair and VP, Engineering for BC Ferries. “We want to promote the industry through their stories and experience, and present different contest entry methods that will appeal to our entire workforce.”

Selected stories and elements of the survey will be used throughout the development of the We are Shipbuilders campaign, and three finalists will be chosen by a jury of industry experts to take home cash prizes of $3000.00 for first place, $2,000.00 for second place, and $1000.00 for third place.

VP of Human Resources at Seaspan and Chair of the SSRB Communications and Marketing Sub-Committee, Lisa Bumbaco states, “We are all shipbuilders, and this contest is aimed at everyone who works or has worked in B.C.’s shipbuilding and ship repair industry: from those who recently joined and are enjoying learning the ropes, to our more experienced workers with great stories to tell.”

The “Get on Board!” contest marks the first phase of the SSRB’s website, a highly anticipated industry-wide resource tool that will help raise awareness of B.C.’s shipbuilding and ship repair sector, and provide information on career and training opportunities available on the West Coast.

Over the next decade alone, B.C.’s employers will need over 4,000 individuals to meet existing and future job openings in both the shipbuilding and ship repair sector and the directly affiliated metal plate and fabrication sector for such professions as Welder, Marine Fitter, Electrician, Pipefitter/Sprinkler Installer, Trades Supervisor, Machine Fitter and Marine Engine Mechanic occupations and many more.

“B.C.’s shipbuilding and ship repair sector is collectively facing the dual challenge of replacing an aging workforce and meeting future requirements driven by the upcoming hiring boom,” says Hank Bekkering of Point Hope Maritime. “We are looking for the next generation of skilled and dedicated individuals to work with us well past 2020,” adds James McFadden, President of Meridian Marine Industries.

The We are Shipbuilders campaign is geared at raising the awareness of career options and opportunities in British Columbia’s thriving shipbuilding and ship repair industry, and highlighting the advantages of working for a growing, safe, high tech and stable industry that offers excellent working conditions on the beautiful West Coast of British Columbia.

The contest started October 28, 2013 and ends December 20, 2013.

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Press Release, October 31, 2013