Sheet Metal E.R.T.

Our Environmental Training Project promotes environmental stewardship by training apprentices to reduce, reuse, and recycle sheet metal.

In the first year of this three-year project, we accomplished the following:

• incorporated “reduce, reuse and recycle” strategies/shop projects into training curriculum with intent to reduce consumption of sheet metal materials

• engaged Skill Plan as project partner to provide access to SMWTCS instructors and students to their Building it Green online self-directed foundational course

• purchased sheet metal consumables for participant use

• identified recycling partners (e.g. North Delta Secondary School – donated 800 lbs of scrap metal)

• supported recruitment of equity-deserving groups (women, newcomers, Indigenous People) through various partnerships (Squamish Nation, PICS TradeBuilders Program, Skill Ready, etc.)

 

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Canada’s Building Trades Unions Building It Green initiative

The Building It Green program is a national climate literacy initiative launched in 2021 by Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU), funded by Employment and Social Development Canada’s Union Training and Innovation Program.

Developed by tradespeople for tradespeople, it equips apprentices, journeypersons, and instructors with the knowledge to integrate sustainable practices into construction work. The program offers a free 2.5-hour online Foundations Course and in-person train-the-trainer workshops, available through over 200 union training centres nationwide.

Collaborating with partners like SkillPlan and the Climate Industry Research Team, Building It Green aims to prepare the skilled trades workforce for Canada’s transition to a net-zero future. Although the project wraps up this fall, CBTU has been awarded another UTIP project to continue green initiatives.

 

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National UTIP Grant

In March 2025, SMART Canada and Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) secured a significant national grant through the Government of Canada’s Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP), specifically under the Sustainable Jobs Stream. This initiative is part of a broader $67 million investment aimed at preparing skilled trades workers for Canada’s transition to a clean economy.

SMART Canada was allocated up to $8.9 million of this funding to enhance training for over 2,000 members. The grant supports the development of a national online training curriculum, providing sheet metal workers across the country with accessible, always-on training to develop crucial skills for clean energy projects.

This partnership between SMART Canada and CBTU exemplifies a commitment to equipping tradespeople with the necessary skills to lead in sustainable construction and energy sectors, aligning with Canada’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The announcement took place at Local 47’s training centre in Ottawa — watch it in the link below:
Ottawa Announces $67M Investment in Green Skills Training – March 18, 2025

 

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Mental Health Resources:

Updated Information and Supports

 

The Construction Industry Rehabilitation Plan (CIRP) continued its mission in 2024 to provide comprehensive mental health and substance use support to unionized construction workers and their families across British Columbia and Yukon. CIRP recognizes the unique challenges faced by construction workers, and seeks ways to remove barriers and destigmatize mental health and substance use issues.

CIRP has introduced innovative programming such as Opioid-Free Pain Management. This includes myoActivation (a form of dry needling), restorative yoga, group therapy, and pain management workshops, aiming to reduce reliance on opioids and address the interplay between mental health, substance use, and pain. bccranesafety.ca

CIRP also partnered with Community Savings Credit Union to launch the Recovery Protection Program. This initiative is designed to provide financial support and resources to individuals in recovery, helping them navigate the economic challenges associated with treatment and reintegration into the workforce. comsavings.com

Through these initiatives, CIRP reaffirmed its role as a vital resource for the construction industry, adapting to emerging challenges and continuing to provide essential support services to its community.

 

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Welcome to our Spring 2024 Newsletter.

Would you like to have your art work published in our Newsletter?
We invite you to send your pictures to media@smwtcs.ca.

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View and download our Spring 2024 Newsletter:

 

 

Skills Canada BC hosted their 30th Annual Provincial Competition at the Abbotsford Trade and Exhibition Centre on April 17, 2024. Each year, this competition brings together the brightest minds and groundbreaking ideas in Skilled Trades. BC Skills helps thousands of students to explore rewarding careers through skills competitions, hands-on programs and resources for educators.

The Sheet Metal booth had four competitors representing SMWTCS, BCIT, and Okanagan College with instructors from each school onsite. SMWTCS was represented by Natasha Hua, from Modern Niagara as the 2023 Level 3 Apprentice Contest winner. The results were:

Gold: Samuel Gasser from British Columbia Institute of Technology

Silver: Mark Holowachuk from Okanagan College

Bronze: Brandon Vangool from British Columbia Institute of Technology

Congratulations to all the contestants!

 

The Canadian Council of Sheet Metal Workers and Roofers sponsored the 48th Annual Sheet Metal Apprentice Contest in conjunction with their Annual Convention.  This year’s contest attracted some of the top 4th year Sheet Metal Apprentices from across Canada who competed in the 2-day event held in Saint John, New Brunswick. 

Representing SMART Local Union 280 and SMACNA BC was Colin Nam of Apollo Sheet Metal. Colin was our Level 4 winner of the annual SMWTC Apprentice Contest hosted in November 2023, and was presented with the Franco Pederzini award.

This year’s project was a challenging copper and brass project, with the venue allowing members of the public to peruse the skills of our future generation of sheet metal worker and learn about the trades. The Canadian Council hosted a banquet to honour all the apprentices who competed and to recognize those who stood above the rest with awards and cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place.

Colin placed 4th in the competition and was honoured with the prestigious Bob Brown Award! Bob Brown retired as the Director of Canadian Affairs for SMART in 2012 and passed away in 2016 shortly after receiving his 50-year service pin from the International. His passion was always that young people serving an apprenticeship be treated with respect and earn a fair wage as they progressed.

Thank you for representing our SMART Local Union 280 and SMACNA BC at this year’s competition.

Well done, Colin!

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“I am very grateful for the opportunity to represent our union and represent BC. I had a fantastic time meeting new people and learning new skills. All of the contestants were super friendly and we all got along pretty well. I think we all opened up pretty quickly and most of us were just there to have fun. I’m happy I took home 4th place with the Bob Brown Award. I went into it with the intention of having a good time and not stressing about the results of it. Overall it was a great chance to explore the east coast of Canada and it’s an experience I would encourage other apprentices to try and go for.”

— Colin Nam

 

This year, the annual Skills Canada competition was hosted in Quebec City from May 29 – June 1, 2024. The 2024 Skills National BC Team consisted of 60 phenomenal young individuals, competing in 54 different trade and technology competitions! Each year, competitors from across Canada embark on a journey of innovation, creativity, and excellence by participating in this annual competition.

British Columbia was well represented with 27 medals including 10 gold winners in various trades! Mark Holowachuk of Okanagan College brought home the gold medal for sheet metal! Well done!

Congratulations to all the contestants for their hard work, dedication and passion for their careers in the skilled trades!

Building off our successful UTIP project, SMWTCS received @ $246,500 from the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy (CAS) – federal funding to facilitate access to trades training using new technologies, particularly targeting green initiatives.

Our new Sheet Metal E.R.T. environmental training project will promote environmental stewardship by training apprentices to reduce, reuse, and recycle sheet metal.

 

Project goals include:

• Our apprentices will learn to optimize material usage, reduce waste generation, and increase resource efficiency.

• Our training centres will foster a culture of sustainability, where environmental responsibility becomes ingrained in everyday operations and decision-making processes.

 

Our UTIP project, Technology and an Inclusive Workforce: Forging our Future Sheet Metal Industry wrapped up in March 2024. The 5-year project was successful, despite COVID delaying implementation of training using UTIP funded equipment and outreach activities. We were able to regain momentum and accomplish our objectives.

We purchased a MEWP-VR simulator, AV & VR welders, advanced welding equipment, fan service units, IT equipment and sheet metal consumables, leading to higher quality training and a more skilled workforce. There were 564 sheet metal students who attended technical training between March 2019 – March 2024, of which 45.6% (257 students) journeyed, successfully completing their apprenticeship.

We increased representation of three key groups (women, Indigenous Peoples, newcomers) contributing to a more inclusive workforce. As of June 2023, SkilledTradesBC ranked SMITB 6th overall of Top 10 Sponsors with over 100 Apprenticeships with 8% Indigenous Peoples, and 9th overall with 7% Women. Of note, there are now 75 female SMART Local Union 280 members and we are seeing an increase in the number of newcomers with work permits.

We built broad-based partnerships to influence change in sheet metal industry to support a more diversified workforce. Our partnerships with SMART Local Union 280, SMACNA-BC contractors and the BC Building Trades were instrumental to supporting outreach activities.

Our partnership with Skill Plan led to the implementation of our mandatory online assessment and their Build your Skills online learning modules better prepare apprentices prior to attending technical training.

Skills Ready, an initiative of the Construction Foundation of BC, contracted Sheila Sadler, a female journey to represent sheet metal for outreach activities at BC Skills, career fairs, high school workshops, etc. as well as indigenous peoples’ events.

To support the project evaluation, we conducted surveys with apprentices and hosted annual focus groups with sheet metal workers and contractors to gain better perspective on industry trends and emerging needs. We also launched a UTIP Women in Sheet Metal Advisory Committee, exploring empowerment themes aligned with Belonging and Excellence for All (BE4All) commitment to creating an environment of welcoming, belonging and excellence.

UTIP created opportunities to shift mindset about technology use and increase awareness of supporting greater diversity to address workforce needs. We thank everyone who supported this project leading to its successful outcomes.

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The annual SMACNA-BC annual general meeting brings together contractors and SMART Local members to celebrate the year’s successes. This year’s event was hosted in Penticton May 9 – 11th with the opening reception on Thursday, followed by team building activities on Friday including the Amazing Metal Chase at the evening banquet. Saturday was the AGM, at which the Jud Martell presented the 2023 annual report for the SMITB and SMWTCs. The AGM wrapped up with a new president elected, Mark McLaren of Ridge Metal.

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We bid adieu to one of our longest-standing SMITB Trustees/SMWTCS Directors, Aaron Smith of Smith Sheet Metal Works Ltd. Aaron has been at the helm of SMITB/SMWTCS for 24 years navigating through tremendous change over the years: 

• Hiring, retiring or replacing 4 Training Coordinators, 3 Lead Instructors, a dozen instructors and half dozen administrators

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• Negotiating first-time collective agreement for SMITB staff

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• Creation of the Society (2002) for SMWTCS — as a result of government cut-backs to apprenticeship training triggered by de-certification, SMWTCS was forced to charge tuition

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• Advocacy leading to re-introduction of Skilled Trades Certification 20 years after the government removed compulsory trades

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• Leveraging Main facility (Surrey) to purchase second Valley location (Langley) to meet industry demand for training

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Aaron, we thank you for your dedication, unwavering belief and willpower to leave the Training Centres well positioned to begin a new era.

Please welcome Derek Crowie of Summit Sheet Metal as Aaron’s replacement as Trustee/Director.