Want To Start Your Career Debt-Free?
Kickstart your future – debt-free
The rumours are true – you don’t have to take on a huge debt or spend years in a classroom to achieve a successful, high-earning, fulfilling career!
- Great salaries
- Job security
- Opportunities to grow
- Earn while you learn
- Quality lifestyle
- Variety and flexibility
- A workforce that welcomes you!
Earn while you learn on your way to a rewarding career
Check out these testimonials from young workers about why they love their careers in the unionized skilled trades.
Are the skilled trades right for you?
Amazing mentors
Earning potential
Earn while you learn
Job security
Start your career journey here!
Explore the trades below to find the best fit for you.
Bricklayers prepare, lay brick and other masonry units to construct and repair structures such as walls, partitions, fireplaces and chimneys. They also lay or install fire brick or castable materials on commercial or industrial projects.
Responsibilities
- Read sketches & blueprints to calculate materials required
- Spread mortar and prepare and lay bricks, concrete blocks or other masonry units
Carpenters construct, maintain and repair structures made of wood and wood substitutes, steel, concrete and other materials. Their duties vary according to job type, including residential, commercial, industrial or maintenance, and some specialize in one type of work. Carpenters can work with construction companies, carpentry contractors and maintenance departments, or can be self-employed.
Responsibilities
- Read and interpret blueprints, drawings and instructions
- Calculate requirements and prepare layouts to follow building codes
Cement masons/finishers construct, place and finish freshly poured concrete. They install, maintain and restore concrete structures. In this career, they can work with construction companies, cement and concrete contractors and manufacturers, or can be self-employed.
Responsibilities
- Place concrete, check formwork and steel reinforcement materials
- Have knowledge of grouts, epoxy material & concrete curing materials
Electricians install, test, repair, maintain and upgrade new and existing electrical systems designed to provide heat, light, power, control, signal or fire alarms for all types of buildings, structures and premises. There is growing demand for specialization in controls, fiber optics and communication & computer networks.
Responsibilities
- Read and interpret drawings and electrical code specifications
- Cut, thread, assemble and install conduits, other electrical conductor enclosures & fittings
Construction craft labourers use diverse skills in a variety of construction activities, including preparing and cleaning up construction sites, moving equipment and materials, operating hand tools and performing demolition and excavation activities. They are essential in assisting many other trades on site. Their duties and responsibilities vary from job to job.
Responsibilities
- Perform various duties involving tool use, equipment and machinery
- Handle, distribute, lift and carry construction materials
Ironworker – Reinforcing tradespeople place and tie reinforcing material. They place and tie reinforcing steel, and post-tension tendons and related components to reinforce concrete structures.
Responsibilities
- Read blueprints & specifications to lay out work
- Safely operate tools & equipmen
Ironworker – Structural/Ornamental tradespeople fabricate and construct structural steel buildings, bridges, pre-cast structures, ornamental ironwork and join scaffolding. They erect structural steel and pre-cast components, install conveyors, secondary steel, curtain wall and sometimes perform reconstructive work on existing structures.
Responsibilities
- Read blueprints & specifications to lay out work
- Safely operate tools & equipment
Millwrights install, maintain, troubleshoot and repair stationary industrial machinery and mechanical equipment used in many industries. They work on a range of equipment in factories, production plants and recreational facilities.
Responsibilities
- Read diagrams and schematic drawings to determine work procedures
- Detect and troubleshoot mechanical problems and malfunctions
Plasterers select, mix and apply gypsum, cement and acrylic mixtures to exterior and interior walls and ceilings to produce clean finishes or decorative surfaces that are fire, weather or sound resistant. Plasterers can work on industrial, residential and commercial projects, and their duties vary according to the type of job.
Responsibilities
- Residential jobs: Apply plaster material over interior or exterior masonry surfaces, especially manufactured wallboard & drywall surfaces, including plaster, stucco or acrylic
- Industrial and commercial jobs: Spray specialized coatings for sound control and hand-trowel or spray fireproofing material for fire protection
Plumbers install, remodel and maintain systems that carry water, steam, air and other liquids or gases necessary for sanitation, industrial production, heating, air conditioning and many other systems. Because they work in all kinds of industries, there are nearly endless work opportunities. On a typical construction job, they do the “roughing in” after the frame and roof of a new building are in place.
Responsibilities
- Read blueprints & specifications to determine plumbing layout
- Locate, mark, join and secure pipe sections
Sheet metal workers design, create, assemble, install and repair sheet metal products, including heating, venting and air conditioning systems, pollution control systems and other metal structures. They work indoors and outdoors, on construction sites and in shops.
Responsibilities
- Build and install products such as eavestroughs, air and heat ducts, roof decking and sheet metal buildings
- Lay out, measure and mark sheet metal
Steamfitters/pipefitters build, assemble, maintain & repair piping systems that carry water, steam, chemicals or fuel in heating, cooling, lubricating and other processes. Because of this, much of their work is industrial or commercial. Pipefitters also remove and replace worn components, do general maintenance work and may work on plant shutdowns.
Responsibilities
- Install piping systems in commercial buildings or industrial plants
- Study blueprints, drawings & specifications
