About the Speaker

Hamilton Ontario

The Skilled Trades Challenge

Is your company ready for the future? Canada's baby boomer workforce is retiring at an alarming rate, in many cases taking years of knowledge and experience with them. Industry surveys indicate that the shortage in skilled trades will continue to be major human resource challenge facing industries in the coming years. Many companies are recognizing the urgency to invest in developing their skilled trades. The Hamilton Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Consortium (HSTAC) is helping to manage skilled trades investment strategies in a cost effective way, by developing apprenticeship training best practices and informing companies and workers of the government financial assistance that is available to support investments in skilled trades. Find out how your company can benefit from HSTAC.

About the Speaker:

Ron Tuff, CSTEC Regional Coordinator Canadian Steel Trade & Employment Congress
Ron Tuff worked in the steel industry for over 30 years, beginning his career in the Transportation Department. As a supervisor, he became involved in employee training and was promoted to Divisional Training Coordinator and subsequently Plant Training Team Leader, responsible for trades, health & safety, computer and management training programs. In the late 1990's the company realized the need to begin rebuilding the dwindling skilled trade workforce. Ron became a member of the Hamilton consortium, a group of local employers developing a cooperative education apprenticeship model in conjunction with Mohawk College, the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities and the Canadian Steel Trade and Employment Congress. Prior to his retirement and the economic downturn, the plant employed 65 coop apprentices and 50 traditional apprentices.

After a short retirement, Ron was recruited by CSTEC as a Regional Coordinator, to promote apprenticeship training and assist employers to develop effective training programs. His past experience has also helped the Hamilton Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Consortium, whose mission is to build a better future for our community by advancing the success of employers and the skilled trades, while fostering world-class training practices that meet those demands.

Rod Eastman, CSTEC Regional Coordinator Canadian Steel Trade & Employment Congress
Rod Eastman has over 35 years of experience in the heavy manufacturing industry. Prior to his retirement in 2006, Rod was a Coach in the Learning & Development Department at ArcelorMittal Dofasco. His responsibilities included the development & integration of training programs for plant employees to meet skill & knowledge requirements in an ever changing work environment.

Rod worked closely with the local community college, Training & Advisory Board, as well as the Canadian Steel Trade & Employment Congress (CSTEC), the Ministry of Training Colleges & Universities, Ontario Chamber of Commerce, and the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, to promote existing, and develop new, apprenticeship opportunities to all stakeholders. Since his retirement, Rod has worked with Mohawk College in the development of a contract training delivery model for local businesses, and with CSTEC in the development of web based training materials, promotion of the Hamilton Skilled Trades & Apprenticeship Consortium, and apprenticeship training.