BC Appoints 2 Electrical Industry Members to the Industry Training Authority

May 7, 2018

The Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training has appointed six new board members to the Industry Training Authority (ITA), two of which come from the province’s electrical industry.

Laird Cronk, International Representative for the BC/Yukon Region to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) – 1st District Canada, is an executive officer with the BC Federation of Labour. He chairs the federation’s Apprenticeship and Skills Training Working Group. He is also the IBEW’s representative on the Canadian Standards Association’s, Canadian Electrical Code – Part 1 Technical Committee, where he serves as Vice-Chair of the Code’s Section 34 Subcommittee.

A Red Seal electrician by trade, Cronk worked for multiple electrical contractors on Vancouver Island during the 1980s and 90s in the marine, communication, commercial, industrial and residential sectors, prior to owning and operating an electrical contracting business in Nanaimo.

Lisa Langevin, Assistant Business Manager for the Local 213 Branch of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), has worked in many aspects of the electrical field including construction, industrial, and maintenance. She participated in the Women in Trades labour market project to better understand and identify the barriers women in BC encounter entering skilled trades as well as advancing in their trades careers. She is currently a member of the BC Federation of Labour’s working group on a pilot project launched by the BC government to support the retention of women in the trades. Langevin also helped establish and co-chairs both the IBEW 213 and B.C. IBEW Women’s Committees, and is president of the B.C. Tradeswomen Society.

“We’re assembling a strong leadership team to help make sure British Columbians have the skills to create the best BC,” says Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. “A diversity of perspectives is important to ensure the Industry Training Authority’s actions work for people.”

The Industry Training Authority (ITA) leads and coordinates British Columbia’s skilled trades system. ITA works with apprentices, employers, industry, labour, training providers and government to fund training, issue credentials, support apprenticeships, set program standards and increase opportunities in the trades. www.itabc.ca