Pre-Apprentices
Looking for a career in the piping trades?
The intent of this site is to support you all the way through your technical training. The UAPICBC wants to see you excel in your trade and is committed to providing you with the tools to do so.
It has been shown that over the last 10 years, 75% percent of students that did not complete apprenticeship in the piping industry were without any certification and were more likely to be unemployed, out of the labour force, and/or less likely to have permanent jobs. Of those unsuccessful apprentices, 60% earned less than $25 per hour with a median wage of $20 per hour. Of the apprentices who did complete apprenticeship successfully, only 40% earned less than $25, while 50% earned between $25 and $50 with a median wage of $27. This is evidence that attrition rates are rising among apprentices, confirming the need to overcome barriers to success.
To help amend these barriers, apprentices need to enhance their learning skills – comprehension, retention aptitude, and the ability to act on information. Read more about the statistical findings from the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum and their recommendations on how to improve your chances of success.
You can also take action by assessing your current skill levels with the ITA’s Essential Skills online tool. This will help you begin to build a solid foundation for success. To get started click here.
Pilot Projects
Foundation Program
This 18-week course is designed to get you started in an apprenticeship, without any trades experience and without securing an employer to sponsor you. It provides you with a strong grounding in the knowledge and skills needed for your trade, including six weeks of Essential Skills training and credit for Level One technical training.
Flexible Welding Training Program
This innovative new six month training program for Level “C” Welding will revolutionize the way apprentices learn. It includes two months of online theory and four months of in-shop practical training. By incorporating six weeks of Essential Skills preparation, participants in the Flexible Welding Training Program will learn how to effectively process and retain information by using auditory and visual learning tools through the use of computers, thousands of photographs, and hours of videos. This information sheet will provide you with more information on the program or go to the UAPICBC School website for course details.
Women in Trades
Currently less than 4% of Red Seal tradespersons in Canada are female, so for diversity the Piping Opportunities for Women was created by the Industrial Training Authority (ITA). The six-week non-certificate course includes one week of Essential Skills training and has been successfully run several times over the past three years. Approximately half of the students who complete the course go on to a certificate apprenticeship in piping. The UAPICBC School website has more details.
Introduction to Construction (ITC)
The ITC program is a 10-week course that includes two weeks of Essential Skills training. The UAPICBC has offered this course in Kitimat through the Kitimat Valley Institute. It has been a very successful program and has included men and women interested in getting into the building trades.
