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Gary Premo Joins CSTEC Team
(Last Updated 10/5/2009 Canadian Steel Trade and Employment Congress is pleased to announce the selection of Gary Premo as the Northern Ontario Regional Coordinator for our Addressing Skilled Trades Shortages Project.

Funded by Ontario's Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities (MTCU) and HRSDC, the regional coordinators have been able to coordinate industry consortia, cross-industry formations which assist the employers and unions in the steel making communities to implement their apprenticeship needs in a cost effective manner in a number of important ways by:

Promoting the benefits of apprenticeship to meet skilled trades' needs.
Assisting in the administration of workplace apprenticeship programs, all the way from the interviewing of apprenticeship candidates to the workplace placement of apprentices.
Assisting in the relations of workplaces with community colleges and training organizations.
Helping workplaces access available government financial support of apprenticeship.
Providing workplaces with support in mentoring apprentices and with skills upgrading.
Sharing experiences to help workplaces overcome barriers to apprenticeship.
Helping workplaces with their recruitment needs through improved relations with school counselors, Job Fairs and school presentations.

This project has been deemed the number one priority by the Board of Directors, who have confirmed that in the steel industry there is an urgent need to address the recruitment, training, and retention of apprentices to replace expected retirements.

Meetings with excellent industry participation have been held across the country to develop and fine-tune strategies to identify critical areas of need, develop strategies to involve provincial governments, liaise with other organizations to promote the skilled trades, and to increase the uptake of apprentices in the steel industry.

Each of the coordinators has a very significant knowledge and experience with the steel industry and with their steelmaking community and has years of hands on experience with the apprenticeship area. They also are very well connected in their communities with both the steel industry companies and unions, with related local industries and workplaces and with local education and training providers.

Gary fits the bill perfectly as well. He has the professional skills and experience requisite to perform the coordinator's job along with familiarity with both the CSTEC structure and apprenticeship initiatives and steel related industries across Northern Ontario. He is well connected in the Sault Ste. Marie community, serving as Board Chair of the Community Legal Clinic, as Managing Director of a non profit Steelworker's Community Services Committee, as the Steelworkers Education Coordinator for North Western Ontario and senior instructor, as President of the Sault Ste. Marie & District Labour Council, and, finally, as a Union Coordinator at ESSAR Steel Algoma.

Gary has actively participated in Phase I of the Addressing Skilled Trades Shortages Project. His experience and background will prove invaluable to initiate, coordinate and administer the activities of the Northern Industry Consortium.

It is expected that Phase II of this project will be from October 15, 2009 and end July 31, 2011.

Robert Jones
Executive Director
CSTEC

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