News

Collaboration and support crucial to the success of the industry

Source: BC Shipping
Published: July/August 2013

The West Coast shipbuilding and repair industry is undergoing an industrial renaissance.  In October 2011, the federal government announced the results of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS), identifying Seaspan Shipyards as one of two successful proponents on the $33 billion program to construct combat and non-combat vessels over the next 20 years.  Seaspan was awarded the rights to construct non-combat vessels of over 1,000 tonnes, an agreement that will eventually see $8 billion in shipbuilding contracts.  The federal government is also allocating $2 billion towards the construction of vessels in the federal fleets that are less than 1,000 tonnes: these shipbuilding contracts are being made accessible to shipyards other than the NSPS yards.

Prior to the NSPS announcement, firms on the West Coast had already won major defence contracts valued in excess of $700 million.  A recent study conducted by a B.C. Government- sponsored Workforce Table determined that annual revenues in the B.C. shipbuilding and repair industry are projected to climb from an average $265 million (2004-2010) to over $1.4 billion by 2018.  A total of $9.9 billion in revenue is projected in the period 2012-2020.  This translates into over 2,000 new direct jobs in the sector by 2020 and a further 2,500 indirect jobs.

In addition to identifying a significant growth in employment, the Workforce Table also produced a ‘Productivity and Competitiveness Road Map’ to identify what the industry needs to do to enhance productivity and increase competitiveness, not only within Canada but also internationally.  And so the question became ‘what can we do to support enhanced productivity for the industry through workforce development and the application of new technologies and materials as well as process improvements?’

The Solution

The creation of the Industrial Marine Training and Applied Research Centre (IMTARC) is a logical response.  IMTARC is a scalable value-adding system integrator for workforce development and applied research that contributes to the competitiveness and productivity of BC’s shipbuilding and repair industry.  The Resource Training Organization (RTO) owns and operates IMTARC on behalf of industry that sets the direction and priorities for the Centre.

IMTARC is a 4,000-square-foot training facility that comprises two classrooms each designed for 24 students but with capacity of up to 40.  Each classroom is equipped with full audio-visual capability including electric screens, LCD monitors and digital light projectors and controls.  Given the diverse learning needs of a student population that ranges between 18 and 65 years of age, the classrooms are also equipped with ample whiteboards and paper flipcharts.  To cater to the computer-based learning, the Centre is fully hard wired through-out with Category 6 connections as well as full wireless capability.  For software applications and advanced computer-based training there is a 12-station computer lab with powerful desktop computers that are backed up by a MS server.  There are also offices for use by instructors or to conduct interviews and assessments.  The facility is located adjacent to the Esquimalt Graving Dock in order to support the close integration of training into the workplace.

The construction and outfitting of IMTARC, costing approximately $1.3 million, was funded by the federal department of Western Economic Diversification and by industry including Seaspan Shipyards, BC Ferries, Babcock Canada, Lockheed Martin Canada and Thales Canada.  While the initial efforts to create IMTARC date back to 2008, the Centre’s construction did not begin until August 2013 and is now in full operation.

IMTARC is operated as a not-for-profit entity and is mandated to become self-sustaining by the end of its first year of operations.  To do this it needs to keep its costs to a minimum and therefore only employs two full time staff; an Executive Director and a Centre Administrator.

As the name would suggest, the mandate of IMTARC is to focus on two areas; workforce development and applied research.

Workforce Development

In workforce development there are four lines of operation.

Leasing out learning spaces to clients in the marine industry.  The classrooms are leased out at $350/day and $225/half day and the computer lab is leased out at $750/day and $450/half day.  Currently the Centre is running at about 45% occupancy and has hosted 52 training courses to date totalling over 1,060 students.

Brokered training courses.  IMTARC canvasses the shipbuilding and ship repair sector on specific training needs and then finds private or public training service providers that can deliver the requested training.  In this context, IMTARC has created working partnerships with multiple training providers that can offer a broad range of courses including software applications, project management and specialty skills.  The training is delivered at the ITMARC facility in Esquimalt or can be delivered at other locations in B.C. where there is sufficient demand (e.g. North Vancouver).

The value-added component provided by IMTARC to industry clients is reduced cost of training through achieving economies of scale (24 seats) and the opportunity to learn together with large, medium and small employers coming from private and public sectors. In brokered courses, IMTARC does all of the organization and administration (including registration and gathering of fees) leaving the training service provider to simply focus on teaching the course.

Development of new curriculum.  In the past several years there have been a number of studies, including a needs analysis and labour market skills study, that determined the need for curriculum specifically targeted at the industry.  Within this framework of Labour Market Partnership Agreement, the B.C. government has allocated $550,000 to IMTARC for the development of: a Ship Repair Entry Level Training Course; an industrial marine planning and scheduling course; an industrial marine terminology course, and leadership courses focusing on conflict resolution, interpersonal communications, and mentoring and coaching (all in an industrial environment).  IMTARC has contracted with multiple training providers in developing the curriculum and learning resources for these courses and aims to have all of these courses on stream by November 2013.

Undertaking finite workforce development projects where IMTARC can add value.  These include a recent completion of a pilot project carried out in partnership with the Industry Training Authority (ITA) where an Occupational Certificate for Shipyard Labourers was developed and then offered to industry through a detailed assessment process.  The pilot involved 50 experienced shipyard labourers and was closely audited by the ITA.  The pilot will now transition to a steady-state process where IMTARC is a registered assessment agency for the Shipyard Labourer credential.

IMTARC will also focus on supporting the development of skills and qualifications of new entrants to the industry, including workers from other industries as well as youth and under-represented labour market groups such as aboriginal peoples and women.  This effort will be commensurate with the demand for employment generated from the shipbuilding and repair industry.  In this context, IMTARC is involved with the Coastal Aboriginal Shipbuilding Alliance (CASA) – a project sponsored by the federal government of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada which will be implemented in partnership with a number of First Nation employment agencies.  IMTARC will help provide a full range of training options including essential skills, pre-employment training, specialty and high-end skills training.

Applied Research

An objective of the National Shipbuilding and Procurement Strategy (NSPS) is to have the selected shipyards invest in infrastructure, design capability, supply chain relationships, business processes, and importantly; the application of new technologies to become more efficient in building new ships for the federal government.  It is intended that these improvements, by improving the sector’s productivity and competitiveness, will position it to more aggressively pursue and secure commercial business both in Canada and off-shore.

To further this goal, IMTARC will:
● focus on common issues with a goal of reducing the cost of building, repairing and maintaining ships through: manufacturing best practices (lean and six sigma); government and industry collaboration; breakthrough technologies and processes; and rapid and widespread implementation. 
● support the transfer of best practices and leading-edge manufacturing technologies and processes into the industry by leveraging off provincial, national and international contributors in applied research relevant to the shipbuilding and repair industry.
● become a repository of information in this context and will act as a catalyst and facilitator for building further knowledge and applications. 
● co-ordinate and inform industry stakeholders on applied research efforts.
● work with industry to determine the skill and knowledge upgrading that is required by the workforce to apply selected progressive technologies and process, and then work in concert with service suppliers to design, develop and deliver targeted training.

IMTARC will also focus on working with industry and government in supply chair development; specifically creating a learning and enabling framework for lower-tier suppliers (Tier 2- 5, which are normally the small and medium- sized business enterprises that want to become part of the supply chain to the sector.

Conclusion

The IMTARC motto is ‘Striving towards enhanced productivity’ and all of its operations are geared to helping the shipbuilding and ship repair sector achieve that outcome.  It is, however, the industry that needs to use IMTARC to best effect and leverage its capabilities to advance workforce development and applied research to bring the sector into forefront of B.C.’s continued economic growth.  For more information on IMTARC and its operations, please visit the Centre’s website at www.imtarc.com