Made for Trades

Do you enjoy working with tools? Like to design and create things with your own two hands? Carpenters measure, saw, level and nail wood and other building materials. All their hard work goes toward building furniture, houses, skyscrapers and more.

Careers

Carpenters are employed by construction companies, carpentry contractors and maintenance departments or they may be self-employed. There are great job opportunities to work anywhere in the world!

• Apprentice carpenters

• Residential (house) carpenters

• Commercial carpenters

• Beam builders

• Brattice builders

• Counter installers

• Custom wood stair builders

• Finishing carpenters

• Hardwood floor installers

• Great job opportunities to work anywhere in the world!

Program Information

• Program length: 24 weeks

• Intake dates: August & January

• Youth Train in Trades: Yes

• Admission requirements: Workplace Math 11 with a minimum of 60% or better, Grade 10 or equivalent including English 10, Mathematics 10

Are you good with numbers? Do you like puzzles and trying to figure out how to make things work? Electricians prepare, assemble, install, test, troubleshoot and repair electrical wiring, fixtures, control devices and related equipment in all types of buildings and other structures. Electricians work independently and as a team.

Careers

Electricians are employed by electrical contractors and building maintenance departments, or they may be self-employed.

• Apprentice electricians

• Residential (house) electricians

• Commercial electricians

• Maintenance electricians

• Marine electricians

• Master electricians

• Solar photovoltaic electricians

Program Information

• Program length: 24 weeks

• Intake dates: August & January

• Youth Train in Trades: Yes

• Admission requirements: Pre-Calculus 11, with a minimum of 60% or better, Grade 11 or equivalent including English 11, Mathematics 11

Do you like working with your hands to create beautiful things? Professional woodworkers design and craft their own custom pieces. Fine woodworkers are both artists and craftspeople as they design and build everything from kitchen tables and chairs to cabinets and coffee tables. They install cabinets and work with various power tools. Paying close attention to detail and making precision measurements and cuts is a must in this trade.

Careers

• High-end custom furniture builders

• Furniture finishers

• Cabinet makers

• Furniture design and construction

• Self-employed contractor

• Craft woodworking artists

Program Information

• Program length: 9 months

• Intake date: September

• Youth Train in Trades: Yes

• Admission requirements: Workplace Math 11 with a minimum of 60% or better, Grade 10 or equivalent including English 10, Mathematics 10

Do you like working with people and have good attention to detail? Hairdressers address all styling and hair needs, from the latest cuts, colours and styles to deep conditioning treatments and hair extensions. Hairdressers may own their own hair studio, work in a beauty salon or spa. People in this career work in hairstyling or hairdressing salons, barbershops, vocational schools and health care organizations or they may work in theatre, film and television.

Careers

• Barber

• Hair stylist, wigs

• Hair-care specialist

• Hairdresser, hairstylist

• Operator, beauty salon

• Technician, hair color

• Hairstylist in film and television

Program Information

• Program length: 9 months

• Intake date: September

• Youth Train in Trades: Yes

• Admission requirements: Workplace Math 11 with minimum of 60% or better, Grade 10 or equivalent including English 10, Mathematics 10, Completion of BC grade 10 or equivalent (e.g. GED, ABE Intermediate)

Do you like working with machines and solving puzzles? Heavy mechanics repair, troubleshoot, adjust, overhaul and maintain mobile heavy-duty equipment used in transportation, construction, forestry, manufacturing, farming, mining, oil, gas, material handling, landscaping, land clearing and similar activities.

Careers

• Farm machinery wheelwright

• Mechanic excavation

• Mechanic, combination - heavy equipment

• Repairer, construction equipment / crane

• Repairer/servicer - diesel engine

Program Information

• Program length: 9 months

• Intake date: September

• Youth Train in Trades: Yes

• Admission requirements: Workplace Math 11 with minimum of 60% or better, Grade 10 or equivalent including English 10, Mathematics 10

A metal fabricator cuts and shapes metal, usually steel or ferrous metals, which are used in the manufacture of both heavy and light structures such as bridges, buildings and ships and automobile bodies, bicycles and chairs.

A metal fabricator must learn how to read drawings and blueprints in order to properly cut and shape the metal and uses tools like band saws and cutting torches. Work in structural steel, boiler and platework fabrication plants, heavy machinery manufacturing plants, sheet metal fabrication shops, shipbuilding and other metal products manufacturing companies.

Careers

• Industrial sheet metal worker

• Labourer, metal polishing-plating

• Machine shop / mechanical press

• Metal pickler / polish / coating

• Operator, bit sharpener / sandblaster

• Packer, nut and bolt

• Power hammer / shear

• Polisher, sheet metal / slide fastener

Program Information

• Program length: 23 weeks

• Intake date: January

• Youth Train in Trades: Yes

• Admission requirements: Workplace Math 11, with minimum of 60% or better, Grade 10 or equivalent including English 10, Mathematics 10

Do you like to work with machines? Millwrights work installing, repairing and maintaining large industrial machinery. When a machine stops working properly, a millwright will troubleshoot the problem and make repairs.

Machinists use technical drawings and measuring tools, including calipers, rules or more precise tools such as micrometers. Machinery tools cut, grind, polish or drill metal or other materials to achieve the final shape of the part.

Careers

Millwrights are employed in all resource industries, manufacturing plants, utilities, processing plants and other establishments. Machinists also work in other industries usually in conjunction with the millwright to maintain, repair or modify existing machinery.

• Manufacturing

• Lumber industry

• Steel works

• Shipyards

• Mines

• Power stations

• Oil refineries

• Vehicle manufacturing

• Railways

• Dam and road construction

• Pulp and paper

Program Information

• Program length: 9 months

• Intake dates: August & January

• Youth Train in Trades: Yes

• Admission requirements: Workplace Math 11, with minimum of 60% or better, Grade 10 or equivalent including English 10, Mathematics 10

Do you like to be in control and have a strong overview of the scene? Plant Operators control, monitor and maintain the machines and equipment used in industrial settings. Often the machinery and equipment used is computer controlled and it is the responsibility of plant operators to set the controls and observe gauges and other instrumentation to monitor progress and check for malfunctions, leaks and other faults.

Different types of plant operator jobs include work at industrial manufacturing facilities, oil refineries, gas extraction facilities, chemical plants, and coal-powered and nuclear power plants.

Careers

• Chemical plant machine operator

• Mineral and metal processing operator

• Cell operator 

• Pulp and paper mill machine operator

• Assistant digester operator 

• Sawmill machine operator

• Process control and machine operator

• Food, beverage and associated products processing 

• Brewhouse operator 

• Control room operator 

• Winery-press operator 

• Water and waste treatment plant operator

• Power engineers and power systems operators

• Auxiliary plant operator 

• Building systems technician 

• Control room operator – electrical power systems 

Program Information

• Program length: 9 months

• Intake dates: September & March

• Youth Train in Trades: No

• Admission requirements: Workplace Math 11, with minimum of 60% or better, Grade 10 or equivalent including English 10, Mathematics 10

Do you love being in the kitchen and working as a team? Professional cooks work in resorts, restaurants, cafés, camps and even on cruise ships. They are responsible for overseeing staff, food, menus and other related issues.

Cooks learn how various ingredients work together in order to make appetizing dishes of all different varieties—from appetizers and salads to main entrees and desserts.

Careers

• Professional cook

• Baker

• Kitchen manager

• Restaurant chef

• Personal chef

• Caterer

• Baking and pastry chef

• Food service or restaurant manager

Program Information

• Program length: 28 weeks

• Intake dates: September

• Youth Train in Trades: Yes

• Admission requirements: Successful completion of Grade 10 or equivalent with passing grades in any Math 10 and any English 10.

Are you a great problem-solver who likes to build? Welders cut, shape and combine materials to make different parts for a variety of industries. Some of these may include the construction, engineering or automobile industry.

Welders pick the materials to be joined or cut, arrange them in an appropriate order, then follow a specific design or blueprint to create the desired product. They are great problem-solvers and pay close attention to detail.

Careers

• Construction welders

• Manufacturing welders

• Structural steel welders

• Sheet metal workers

• Boilermakers

• Industrial maintenance welders

• Underwater welders

• Pipefitters

• Motorsports welders

• Shipyard welders

• Military welders

Program Information

• Program length: 7 months

• Intake date: September

• Youth Train in Trades: Yes

• Admission requirements: Workplace Math 11, with minimum of 60% or better, Grade 10 or equivalent including English 10, Mathematics 10