The Manitoba government and SAFE Work Manitoba are launching a new online Young Worker Readiness Certificate course to teach youth the basics about workers’ and employers’ rights and responsibilities for safety and health in the workplace.
“Having a job can be a fulfilling experience for youth as it can provide a sense of accomplishment and responsibility,” said Manitoba Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen. “This course contains important information everyone should know before getting their first job.”
The interactive course is based on WorkSafe Saskatchewan’s successful youth readiness course and is tailored for Manitoba. It will help aspiring young workers to:
- understand more about the work world and where to go for information about workplace safety and health,
- examine a pay statement,
- learn about workplace expectations and responsibilities and practice problem solving, and
- know workers’ and employers’ rights and responsibilities for keeping workplaces safe, and how to recognize and address common workplace hazards.
“We recognize how vital this initiative is for Manitoba’s youngest workers,” says Jamie Hall, Chief Operating Officer of SAFE Work Manitoba. “When young workers are well-informed, everyone is one step closer to coming home safe at the end of the day.”
Employers seeking to hire a worker under the age of 16 are required to confirm the successful completion of the course and keep a copy of the Certificate as an employment record. The Young Worker Readiness Certificate is transferable from employer to employer, meaning youth only need to complete the course once.
“The new online training course will better prepare young Manitobans for entering the workforce and help keep them safe,” says Minister Pedersen, noting a person must be 13 years of age to work in Manitoba, and employers must follow rules to protect the safety and health of young people in the workplace.
Young Manitobans who are 13, 14 or 15 years of age are not permitted to work:
- on a construction site,
- in industrial or manufacturing processes,
- on drilling or servicing rigs,
- on scaffolds or swing stages,
- pruning, repairing, maintaining, or removing trees or shrubs,
- at heights more than 1.5 metres,
- with herbicides or pesticides, or,
- without direct adult supervision.
Young people aged 13, 14, or 15 cannot work between the hours of 11 pm and 6 am, and cannot work more than 20 hours per week during a school week. Additionally, 13-year olds in the food preparation industry cannot work with dangerous tools or machinery, such as knives, slicers or deep fryers.
Administered by the Manitoba government and developed in partnership with SAFE Work Manitoba, the Young Worker Readiness Certificate Course can now be completed online at https://ywrcc.safemanitoba.com.