Training Centre
"The Sheet Metal Workers Training Centre Society's mission is to provide the highest quality of training and upgrading to sheet metal apprentices and journeypersons in the Province of British Columbia by delivering the highest standards of instruction and utilizing the most up-to-date teaching methods and technologies."
The Sheet Metal Workers Training Centre Society is a private, post-secondary institution located in Surrey, British Columbia. It opened in April 1992 with the objective of delivering high quality, relevant training to union sheet metal apprentices and journey persons in the sheet metal construction and fabrication fields. The Sheet Metal Industry Training Board administers the centre. It is a joint board of the British Columbia Sheet Metal Association (SMACNA-BC) and Sheet Metal Workers International Union Local 280. Funding for the Training Centre is provided through local collective bargaining agreements and training contracts with the Industry Training Authority.
Apprentices are indentured to the SMITB, and are registered with the Industry Training Authority. A Sheet Metal Apprenticeship Agreement is usually for four years (6400 hours). Two to three hundred apprentices are indentured to the Board at any given time. They attend each of their four, six-week training sessions at the Training Centre. The ITI (International Training Institute) of the sheet metal industry provides the latest curriculum material and equipment to enhance the material that is used in British Columbia.
Journey person upgrading and training is also delivered through evening classes at the centre. These classes range from welding, layout, blueprint reading, computer operation, and specialized courses as required by the industry. The Training centre provides both SMACNA contractors and union members with the assurance of quality, relevant training.
Policy on Apprenticeship
Applicants for Sheet Metal Apprenticeship must be approved by the Sheet Metal Industry Training Board's Training Co-ordinator.
Applications for apprenticeship with the Sheet Metal Industry Training Board must include:
- A completed Apprentice Registration & Release of Information form.
- High school, trade school, or college transcripts and employer recommendations. High School Graduation including Math 11 (Principles) and English 12 or a GED is recommended.
- All applicants must write the Sheet Metal Entrance Exam
Entrance Standard Exam
Applicants living outside of the Lower Mainland may not be required to write the entrance exam but must meet all other requirements.
The majority of apprentice applicants will first work as a pre-apprentice prior to being indentured as an apprentice. The maximum length of pre-apprenticeship is 1000 hours.
Applicants with sheet metal experience or who are already registered as an apprentice may be granted credit towards apprenticeship based upon their previous experience. Special consideration may be given regarding entrance requirements where extraordinary circumstances exist. All requests are evaluated on an individual basis, based upon documentation and information provided.
The Apprenticeship Program
The majority of apprentices are indentured to the Sheet Metal Industry Training Board. A Sheet Metal Apprenticeship Agreement is for a period of four years (6400 hours). Indentured apprentices attend four levels of eight week technical training sessions at the Sheet Metal Workers Training Centre Society and are subject to $800 tuition per eight week session of training. All indentured apprentices have $1.00/hr after tax deducted from their wages to be held in trust by the Trustees of the Sheet Metal Industry Training Board until the apprentice attends technical training. The accumulated money will be paid back to the apprentice on the second Friday of their technical training session.
Sheet Metal Workers Training Centre Society is located at 19077 95A Avenue, Surrey BC V4N 4P3
Phone 604-882-7680 Fax 778-298-0656
Contact the Training Centre via e-mail admin@smwtcs.ca or visit their website at http://www.smwtcs.ca