Framing in the Future at the Carpenters Local 494

Enhanced Construction students learn from industry professionals at Local 494.

By Matthew St. Amand

For the past three years, the Carpenters Local 494 in Oldcastle has been a training center for high school students enrolled in the Enhanced Construction Program through the Ontario Youth Apprentice Program (OYAP).

“This semester we have seventeen students,” says Logan Kane, Training Coordinator for Carpenters Local 494. “Last year we had thirty-four. In total, we’ve had one hundred and five students come through the program in the three years since it’s inception.”

This course is unique because students learn directly from the construction industry. Being housed in Local 494, the program is always up to date on what is new in industry—whether that is tools, methods, safety—because Local 494 has earned such a good reputation among its contractors.

“Some of the students who come here are from schools that have no tech,” Logan continues. “They are here for one semester and during that time we teach them as many applicable skills as we can.”

Entry into the program involves an interview process, which goes through the course’s teacher Mr. Trent Durocher who has been a teacher with the GECDSB for fifteen years. Students’ grades are looked at, as well as their attendance.

“The most important quality students bring with them is their attitude,” Logan says.

Not all of the students aspire to be carpenters. Some of them train at Local 494 just because it is a tech course. They receive safety training and see the course as a good way to enhance their resume.

“The contractors have been really supportive,” Logan explains. “They are responding to the students very well. Some call and ask specifically for co-op students. The kids are eager to learn and haven’t picked up any bad habits yet. The contractors see this as an opportunity to train them the way they want. The students enjoy the co-op placements because they’re doing actual work and adding to their skill sets.”

The only issue the program has had is with parents not understanding the apprenticeship process. Nobody is saying to the kids “Don’t go to college or university,” but it is important that students know there is another route toward a satisfying career: namely, through apprenticeship.

“After many years of people looking down on the trades, we’re finding that the attitude toward them is changing,” says teacher Trent Durocher. “We were recently at a Pathways Night at Massey high school and we had parents asking if they could submit resumes at Local 494.”

The OYAP program is particularly beneficial because it gives students a chance to try out some trades without being locked in. If they choose one direction, but decide it is not for them, they can simply choose another.

“This program started at Local 494 because we didn’t want kids going out to co-op placements and just pushing a broom,” Trent explains. “With this program the students go out to contractors with tools lent to them from the school board, so they are productive.”

He continues: “There is a big advantage to being here. If there is new tech in industry, we know about it the next day. We can teach it the next month. Our students are very current with what is happening in the industry.”

There is also room for students to make mistakes. Many who enroll may not know much about tools or building.

“We all make mistakes,” Trent says. “As long as you’re working safely, mistakes are learning opportunities.”

Kyle Côté is a student who has gone through the program at Local 494 and is now working in the field. A friend of the family recommended the program to him.

“I started in grade ten,” Kyle says. “The course was challenging and interesting enough. I felt welcome in the training program and with the contractor where I was placed.”

He continues: “Today we were putting up concrete footings. I helped with pouring concrete and forming it with two-by-tens, then reinforcing it with rebar. I was cutting a lot of the wood, helping wherever I could help. It looked good when it was all finished.”

Kyle also gained experience working with a cabinet maker during his time in the program.

“The program is amazing! I would take it again,” he says. “You learn a lot. The teachers are awesome there. The training we get really helps you with your future. I have eleven certificates: first aid, scaffold, hoisting and rigging, forklift, elevated platform, and others. I’d recommend this program to anybody who is interested in the trades. Even if you’re not interested in carpentry, but maybe an electrician or plumbing. You learn these skills and make connections that can help down the road.”

And it is never too early to have a look at the trades as a career option.

“This past semester, we started a seventh-grade outreach,” Trent says. “We showed students some skilled trade activities, like framing in a wall using hot glue, cosmetology, changing a tire, and even a chef’s challenge. We tried exposing them to skilled trades. We had seventeen grade schools here —approximately thirty-five students per school—and we’re not done. The kids loved it.” W.E.