30 Years of SMWTCS

SMWTC grand opening, 1992


Our first Training Centre opened on October 19, 1992 within a leased building located at 4415 Dawson Street in Burnaby. This was the first industry funded private trades training centre in BC, opened in response to changing skillsets required by contractors to respond to the training needs of industry. Those early years started with a single intake of 16 students, many of whom are company owners and lead supervisors 30 years later.

In 2010, we purchased our current “Main” building located at 19077 95A Ave in Surrey and have offered two classes per intake at 250 students per year for the last 12 years. Over the years, we offered more intakes, added an afternoon shift and expanded our specialty training courses. We outgrew the space through increased demand for technical training in response to labour market changes, Skilled Trades Certification and the backlog of students brought on by the Covid pandemic.

The “Valley” building located at 5514 275 Street in Langley created opportunity to double our capacity, and we now offer four classes, two per facility each intake. Our increased capacity and expanded instructional staff have contributed to us continuing to provide exceptional technical training. We are the largest sheet metal training in BC, training over 350 students per year.

Our lucky number is three – 30 years of history with 3 Training Coordinators, 3 Chief Instructors and now in 2023, we opened our 3rd facility and now have 300+ students accessing technical training. 2023 is going to be a great year!


 

SMWTC Contests

After a two-year hiatus thanks to the pandemic, we are again hosting contests!

The Level 4 Apprentice Contest was hosted in April 2023 to assist us in identifying a potential contestant for the Canadian Contest (July) in Saskatchewan. Four individuals who had journeyed within the last two years participated as contestants: Well done everyone!

• 1st place – Henry Derksen (Century Plbg. and Htg. Ltd.)

• 2nd place – Troy Martell (Termel Industries)

• 3rd place – James Plett (City Sheet Metal)

• 4th place – Alexander Flaman (Piedmont Sheet Metal)

The SMWTC Annual Apprentice Contest on November 25th at the Main facility. We will send out an invite to all level 1, 2, 3 & 4 apprentices to participate in this event closer to the date.

Space is limited so if you are keen to be on the contestant list and don’t want to miss out, please email Astrid: astrid@smwtcs.ca


Specialty Training

With the opening of the Valley facility, we are again able to offer Specialty Training.
We are launching with Fan Service in October, offered for a low cost to SMART Local 280 members for $200.

Fan Service training dates for the first session are:

• October 10th & 12th, 4:30 to 7:30 October 14th, 8:00 to 3:00
• October 17th & 19th, 4:30 to 7:30 October 21st, 8:00 to 3:00

To register, please send an email to Astrid: astrid@smwtcs.ca

Fan Service


NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH


 

Check out a new digital campus tool for apprentices!

The College of the BC Building Trades website has been launched to help aspiring apprentices more easily explore trades careers and connect with opportunities. The website features online tools to assess skills and a learning portal, as well as connect directly with training schools and campuses across the province.


 

LIGHTS ~ CAMERA ~ ACTION!

The College of the BC Building Trades website will soon be enhanced with some videos featuring the various trades.

Over the summer, several contractors and apprentices participated in video shoots as part of the creative content for the Sheet Metal trade. Both sheet metal and architectural sheet metal have been included.

Thank you to our participating apprentices, journeys, and contractors.

Special thanks to the immensely talented videographers from Human Biography – we are excited to share the final cut when released!


 

FEMALE MENTORSHIP: A JOURNEY’S OPPORTUNITY TO PASS THE TORCH

Female Mentorship: A Journey’s Opportunity to Pass the Torch

Back in the summer of 2009, Sheila Sadler, from Viaduct Sheet Metal Ltd., was featured on the cover of the Sheet Metal Journal, to “make way for women in trades”. Sheila has walked her talk, and over a decade later, she is an industry leader promoting greater representation of women in the trades.

Sheila regularly participates in career fairs and as a guest speaker at events. Sheila and other women were featured in a recent video shoot coordinated by Skill Plan & BC Building Trades – a “day in the life” of a sheet metal worker for the College of the BC Building Trades website launch.

Passing the Torch

Sheila helped to coordinate one of her female apprentices, Mukelabai “KK” Nasitwitwi to participate in the cover shoot for the TradeTalk magazine. KK is a Level 1 apprentice who recently joined the sheet metal trade and is excited to attend her first level of technical training at the Training Centre in early 2022.



Sheila, KK and other women’s participation supports our Technology and an Inclusive Workforce UTIP project, aimed at increasing representation of key groups including women, Indigenous People and newcomers to Canada.

 

 

SUMMER 2021 GRADS

Summer 2021 Grads

As Oscar Wilde brilliantly said, Success doesn’t rush. The greatest reward is the journey!  Well, our students in Level 4 sheet metal and Level 3 architectural sheet metal demonstrated that hard work and dedication to their craft contributed to their success in becoming ‘journeys’.

This is not a feat to be taken lightly. Learning new skills in a blend of online (theoretical) and onsite (technical) training is not something that comes easily to all students. Or instructors for that matter, who had to learn the technology to teach it! Our SMWTCS instructors are steadfast in supporting students to navigate the computer technology to ensure each student can complete their online assignments and hands on projects successfully.

The graduating students certainly stepped up to the plate with excellent results! Per Jud Martell, Training Coordinator, “they went 16 for 16 passed the IP (Level 4 – SM) and 10 for 10 passed the CofQ (Level 3 – ASM). 26 for 26!!! This set the new standard (previous was the 24 for 24 IP last summer) of 100% completion rate. Almost a perfect class with all passing the Level 3 and 4, and attendance was perfect for the ASM and only one student missed 3 days in the SM. Amazing!”


 

 

SKILLED TRADES CERTIFICATION

The BC government has introduced skilled trades certification. This will help improve our trades training system to meet the labour demands of a rapidly evolving economy.

BC’s skilled trades certification now aligns with other provinces across Canada. This provides a pathway to increase the skill level of BC’s trades workforce leading to greater access to the benefits of post-secondary training and certification: better jobs, higher wages and stable careers.

BC is requiring trades workers to be either a certified journeyperson or a registered apprentice in 10 trades (three electrical, four mechanical, and three automotive trades). Sheet metal is one of the identified trades. The implementation process is still being finalized and there will be a transition period to assist workers and employers to be in compliance.

The government is also introducing journeyperson to apprentice ratios for these 10 trades based on consultations with workers, employers and other industry stakeholders, led by the Industry Training Authority. The goal is to ensure there are enough skilled trade workers to meet the labour force demands in the future.

The benefits of skilled trades certification are highlighted in this YouTube video including standardizing trade skills and increasing opportunities for under-represented and equity-seeking groups.


 

 

AN iPAD FOR EVERY LEVEL 1 STUDENT

An iPad for every Level 1 student!

Our international partner helps students learn remotely!

On July 9th, the Training Centre had 15 level 1 students complete their 1st year training. Each student was issued individual iPads to support them with their educational goals.

The iPads are part of a new program offered by the International Training Institute (iTi) to all Level 1 apprentices. The iTi program aims to have an iPad in the hands of their members (including Local 280 members) when apprentices are in the field on the Work Based part of technical training.

With the iTi turning 50 this year, it continually seeks ways to “become more high-tech, diversified and continues to evolve, offering more opportunities to members”. Access to iPads provides apprentices with the opportunity to become better acquainted with the use of technology. This is especially important as more and more of our work, school and family functions are forced online due to the pandemic. Our future is now more intertwined with technology and a more virtual world, one iPad at a time.