Equity in Trades Training

SkilledTradesBC sponsors a number of community service providers, training providers and Indigenous communities across B.C. to deliver trades training and employment programs. The programs below are focused on meeting the needs of under-represented groups in trades occupations. The programs aim to assist participants in gaining information, connections, and skills needed to participate in the trades, secure trades employment, or move on to further training or apprenticeship that can lead to a career in the trades and benefit their lives.

For further questions about skilled trades and apprenticeships, including registration, examinations and certification, contact SkilledTradesBC directly at 1-866-660-6011 or customerservice@skilledtradesbc.ca. 

Entry into the Skilled Trades Industry in BC 

This BC Centre for Women in the Trades program forms a pivotal component of facilitating entry into the construction and skilled trades industry in British Columbia by actively recruiting women, including transwomen, and non-binary individuals into the trades. Skills Training services are designed to prepare participants for a range of trades occupations within the construction and skilled trades industry. This includes, but is not limited to, positions in construction craftwork, labourers, carpentry (UBCJA), sheet metal (Local 280), welding, electrical work (IBEW 213), heat and frost (Insulators 118), HVAC, plumbing/steam fitting (UA 170), and other sectors within the trades industry. Services are delivered in hybrid, cohort-based, and one-on-one models. Participants are guided toward additional training, certifications, and apprenticeship programs, ensuring a continuous pathway for skill enhancement and career progression.

Training Locations:

• In-person in regional communities
• Virtual

Contact:

BC Centre for Women in the Trades, email or phone 604-812-1966

Skilled Trades Employment Program (STEP) 

The Skilled Trades Employment Program (STEP) works with construction industry employers and eligible participants to fill available apprenticeship positions across B.C. STEP supports program participants to secure construction related employment by providing job search coaching and support, short-term certificates and soft skills training, job placements and personal supports to ensure participants are job ready.

Training Locations:

• STEP’s training and services are provided one-on-one to participants, not in cohorts or classrooms, and can be a blend of in-person and virtual.

Contact:

BC Construction Association, email or phone 1-833-567-STEP

Trade Starters for Equity Deserving Groups Training Project 

The Trade Starters Project aims to provide trade sampler and pre-apprenticeship training to equity-deserving groups, offering maximum exposure to a variety of skilled trades that require certification to work in the field. The program will use a hybrid service delivery model to accommodate individual needs and support strong outcomes. A blended approach will be implemented, combining cohort-based programming with individualized case management to ensure participants receive both group learning opportunities and personalized support. Participants will be trained through one of two trade sampler streams:

• Stream 1 includes Construction Electrician, Industrial Electrician, and Powerline Technician (two cohorts)
• Stream 2 includes Heavy Duty Equipment Technician, Automotive Service Technician, and Autobody and Collision Technician (one cohort only). 

Training Providers are Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) for electrical trades and Vancouver Community College (VCC) for the automotive.

Training Locations:

• Delta
• Surrey
• Vancouver

Contact:

Progressive Intercultural Community Services (PICS) Society, email or phone 604-324-7733

Workplace Alternative Trades Training (WATT) 

The WATT program gives participants a quick in-demand skillset in the construction and industrial electrician trades. The program relies upon the established partnership with the The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union. Eligibility is done through an exploratory practical/hands-on training called Gateway. Participants are assessed for job-site readiness and if successful are invited to participate in WATT. WATT is a unique approach to pre-apprenticeship/pre-employment training. Participants are supported throughout their exploration of the trade into a career and all the way to Red Seal Certification.

Training Locations:

• Cranbrook
• Dawson Creek
• Duncan
• Kamloops
• Nanaimo
• Prince George
• Victoria
• Williams Lake

Contact:

Western Joint Electrical Training Society, email or email, phone 250-508-6441