Program Spotlight: Trades at Assiniboine

Do you enjoy seeing the fruits of your labour? When you think of putting in a full day’s work, would you prefer it not be spent in an office? Have you always been interested in working with your hands and engaging both your mental and physical self?

The trades are a diverse area to explore when it comes to careers. There are many types of jobs and specializations within each trade—and Assiniboine offers 25 trades programs, in both pre-employment and apprenticeship tracks.

In a pre-employment program, upon successful completion of the program, you will graduate with a certificate, as well as credit for Level 1 in-school technical training and 900 hours in the apprenticeship program. This puts you on the apprenticeship track where you can earn while you learn—if you wish to continue on in your education, you will get paid to learn while you apprentice under the guidance of a skilled employer.

Eventually, once you’ve mastered your trade and successfully completed all apprenticeship levels, you will become a journeyperson and gain your Red Seal. Becoming a Red Seal journeyperson allows you to work across Canada or even the world!

The trades also have a high earning potential; you’ll often earn a higher than average wage. And taking a trades program is usually faster and less costly than traditional post-secondary. This means you’ll leave school with less debt and concrete skills you can apply to the “real world” immediately!

In a world that is has seen an increased cost of living, multiple recessions and a labour shortage, the skilled trades offer job security. The labour market will always need skilled workers and some might even say the trades are recession-resistant as there is always a need to service or repair existing facilities, vehicles and buildings. If you’re interested in building what you see in your mind’s eye, if you want to pursue something that will keep you engaged, consider a career in the trades.

At Assiniboine, you can choose from the following pre-employment programs:

• Agricultural Equipment Technician
• Applied Building Construction
• Applied Electrical Installation
• Applied Plumbing Installation
• Automotive Technician
• Carpentry and Woodworking
• Construction Electrician
• Heavy Equipment Technician
• Piping Trades
• Power Engineering
• Truck and Transport Mechanic
• Welding

New to Assiniboine this year are funding incentives to cover the full cost of tuition, books, supplies and tools for the Applied Building Construction certificate program at our Parkland campus in Dauphin. The program begins this February and funding incentives are available for Indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) youth, 18 to 30 years of age, not employed, education and training (NEET Youth). If you or someone you know may be interested in this program, visit assiniboine.net/appliedbuilding for more information.

Want more information? Check out our live, online info sessions. These 45-minute presentations provide a more in-depth program description and give you the chance to ask questions. To register, and for upcoming dates and times, visit assiniboine.net/infosession.