Native Residential Construction Worker Apprenticeship Program - Northern College of Applied Arts and TechnologyCarpentry Education in CanadaCarpentry and Woodworking Programs -- Community College Programs
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Native Residential Construction Worker Apprenticeship Program - Northern College of Applied Arts and Technology An apprenticeship is a method of learning a trade through a combination of periods of in-class, technical/theoretical education and periods of paid, on-the-job training. During the latter portions of an apprenticeship, the student (apprentice) will work, in an indentured capacity, under the direction of a certified, journeyperson member of the trade one is learning. A journeyperson is an individual who has earned the standards of practice of his/her trade. The advantage of completing an apprenticeship is not only that one acquires in-depth knowledge and skills in a trade but also that, within the latter, one's career opportunities and salary potential are normally increased. Furthermore, once an individual has obtained journeyperson status, he/she may be eligible to have his/her certification as such endorsed by the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program (Red Seal). The latter enables the journeyperson to practice his/her trade throughout Canada, provided the trade is designated in that locale, without undergoing further examinations. Northern College of Applied Arts and Technology provides a unique Native Residential Construction Worker Apprenticeship program designed primarily for individuals of First Nations lineage to train the latter 'in all aspects of residential construction.' To be eligible for admission to the Program, however, one does not need to be of First Nations descent but will normally require to have completed Grade 12, or equivalent. Successful completion of the Program will earn the student journeyperson status; this means he/she will have acquired the industry standard for his/her trade and will qualify to have such credential recognized throughout Canada. Primarily, graduates of the Program will be trained to work on 'construction projects in Native residential settings.' Graduates will typically 'assist skilled trade persons in carpentry, electrical and plumbing, in support of a construction project' as well as 'perform labour activities at the construction site, including: loading and unloading construction materials and moving materials to work areas, reading and interpreting blueprints, plans and sketches, performing basic welding, formwork and foundations, framing, interior and exterior finishing.' Furthermore, graduates will be 'knowledgeable and familiar in safety and building code, and can proficiently operate power tools.' As part of the Program, students will also be equipped with the knowledge and skills of 'construction management in order to allow future occupational opportunities in supervisory or entrepreneurial roles.' Graduates can also start their own business or pursue further skills training in related areas such as Carpentry, Cabinetmaking (Joinery), Millwork, Planermill, Refinishing, Wood Products and Manufacturing, and Woodworking. The Native Residential Construction Worker is an apprenticeship program, which means that the student (apprentice) will alternate between periods of in-class theoretical/technical-based training and paid vocational experience working under the tutelage of an experienced journeyperson. The in-school training consists of 2 Levels of training of 240 hours (8 weeks) each 'delivered in full-time, block format and is community-based.' Among the major topics to be covered during the in-class sessions are Blueprint Reading, Construction Management, Electrical, Exterior and Interior Finishing, Framing (floors, walls and roof), Formwork and Foundations, Plumbing, Safety, and Site Preparation. There is no firmly established amount of time for the completion of the vocational-based training aspect of the Program. Completion of the work component of the Program is based on acquired 'competencies through demonstrated skills, rather than a fixed number of hours on the job.' Usually, work-based training can be completed in 2 to 3 years, or about 4,000 hours of work. The Program as a whole is completed 'when the apprentice has achieved competency in all of the on-the-job performance objectives and when all levels of in-school training have been successfully completed.'
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