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1. Ontario Straw bale Building Coalition Apprenticeship Initiative

 
Development and Feasibility Survey - Spring 2011

The Ontario Straw bale Building Coalition (OSBBC) would appreciate your involvement in the development of a straw bale apprenticeship program. We ask that you take some time to anonymously answer ten questions that relate to you as a potential apprentice. We will collect this information and use it to shape what might become a provincial apprenticeship program for technical straw bale building, building science, and plastering.
Our goals are to:
- Further the profession and availability of these natural builders
- Ensure quality of straw bale buildings
- Encourage people currently in the trades to adapt this smart wall system into their skill set.
Thanks for helping out.

1. Background: To date, what has been your experience with straw bale building? Click all that apply to you:

2. Costs: The OSBBC, or another organization running such an apprenticeship program would incur costs for hiring in-school educators, administration, insurance, ect. In your opinion, what would be a fair way to recoup these costs? Click all that apply to you:

3. Costs, Part II: To register with the Ontario Ministry of Training as a Red Seal Apprentice, it costs $40, and there can be upwards of $1,500 in fees associated with the in-school training spread over the duration of the apprenticeship. Provincial grants are available to help Red Seal apprentices. For now, this OSBBC initiative is completely separate from the government Ministry, and no outside funding is available. Click all that apply to you:

4. Expanding the Market: In order to create quality employment for apprentices, the demand for straw bale building has to grow. This could be done in part by you, as one standing to gain from increased employment, wage standardization, ect. What would be possible for you to provide as a benefit to your employer in exchange for your training? Click all that apply to you:

5. Viability: Apprentices could potentially have to work for multiple employers in order to fulfill all aspects of their training. Click all that apply to you:

6. Length of Apprenticeship: The OSBBC is currently drafting a curriculum for the apprenticeship which is modeled on the Ontario General Carpentry training manual. This will require the apprentice to fulfill most or all of the components outlined in their training, and will be signed off by various employers as they become confidant that the apprentice can satisfactorily accomplish a task without supervision. Given your other options and constraints, what length of time could you dedicate to a straw bale apprenticeship?

7. Wages: Part of every recognized trade apprenticeship is wage standardization. This proposed straw bale apprenticeship program may have a set hourly labour rate which apprentices start at, and increases as they complete in-school training, work hours and acquire tools. Please choose from the following STARTING wage ranges that you determine as reasonable.

8. Wages, Part II: Once you as the apprentice has completed your training, what hourly wage do you determine is reasonable to ask for as a qualified straw bale journey(wo)men?

9. Relevancy: Often times, straw bale contractors will also incorporate a range of other natural building techniques into their structures. Based on your interests and entrepreneurial pursuits, would you want an apprenticeship to be expanded to include other practices? If so, which ones? Click all that apply to you:

10. Value: Would you consider a formalized straw bale apprenticeship program beneficial to your professional development?

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