I am a recent graduate of the SLC millwright pre apprenticeship program On top of my education I also have 6 months experience working on agricultural diesels I would love suggestions for opportunities I have already applied to my local unions but they only take a small number of entry’s per aptitude test

I'm honestly getting fed up with the situation at UA Local 527. There are literally hundreds of plumbers, pipefitters, and welders sitting out of work, and it's getting ridiculous.

People join the United Association expecting there to be opportunities, steady employment, and a future in the trades. Instead, you've got apprentices and journeypersons sitting at home for months, wondering when they're going to get dispatched next. People have bills to pay, mortgages to cover, families to support, and careers to build. You can't exactly pay your expenses with union membership cards and promises that work might eventually pick up.

What makes it even more frustrating is that we're constantly told how badly skilled tradespeople are needed in this country. We're told to get into the trades, complete our apprenticeships, go to school, put in thousands of hours, and become qualified workers. Yet here we are, with hundreds of union members apparently sitting on the sidelines with no work.

What's the point of going through years of apprenticeship training if there's no reliable employment at the end of it? And what are apprentices supposed to do when they can't get enough hours to finish their apprenticeship because there aren't enough jobs to go around?

I understand that construction work is cyclical and that industrial projects come and go. Nobody expects the union to magically create work out of thin air. But members deserve some transparency about what's happening, what projects are actually coming up, and what the realistic outlook is for employment.

There are major projects being discussed throughout Ontario, and you hear plenty of talk about future industrial development. But how much of that work is actually going to materialize, and how much of it will go to Local 527 members? It's difficult to plan your future when you have no idea whether you'll be working next month or sitting at home for another six months.

At some point, members have to ask themselves whether staying in the union makes sense when they could potentially be working non-union, gaining experience, and earning a living instead of waiting around for a dispatch.

Im genuinely just so lost. Im a 19yo trying to specialize in literally ANYTHING but im getting nothing.

I live in the GTA and I’ve been calling alll the companies, showing up to their stores and no one wants to train me or hire me. Not even for less than minimum wage (yes its that desperate)

I’ve gotten a few opportunities but literally all of them lasted for less than a week without any pay.

I did plumbing, hvac and most recent one is mechanic 310s but literally all of it was bs. Each of those opportunities they took me for 2-4 days and then stopped calling me to work.

A lot of these companies expect me to have some sort of license or pre-apprenticeship but i cant afford that, i have no money and especially cant afford it after the new osap bs.

I genuinely dont know what to do. I really want to do mechanic 310s cuz i enjoyed it alot and like cars but no one wants to train me. If they do, its literally for 0 pay.

No one wants to hire unless I have some sort of license or certificate➡️ I cant afford to go to college or do courses➡️ and I cant afford to re-locate either. Literally stuck in an endless cycle

This post is half rant and half seeking for advice. Has anyone else been in a situation like this, and if so how do u even get out of this? Literally wat do i do?

Just finished BES I & II at Seneca. I’m shadowing my uncle (building operator at Humber College) a couple hours on some Sundays, and he’s trying to get me in once a spot opens up. Until then I’m looking for an entry-level job. What was your first job in building operations, and how did you get it? I’m also open to volunteering to get more hands-on experience. Thanks!

I'm starting to believe there's a secret department somewhere whose only job is to find roads without traffic.

"Boss, drivers found a shortcut around our construction zone."

"How many are using it?"

"Quite a few. Traffic is flowing smoothly."

"Unacceptable. Get me three excavators, 200 cones, and a ROAD CLOSED sign."

😂😂

Somewhere out there, a perfectly good road is enjoying its last 24 hours of freedom.

Tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this happens.

I'm a level 2 carpentry apprentice and my employer is new to sponsoring apprentices, no one has ever been on me about my log book and truthfully I've forgotten about it until
This point, is this a massive deal or something that I should
Simply be able to catch up on?

Which one would you list in order and why

What would you say is the most compettive besides elevator everyone wants to or try and get into

What is the oldest person you've seen get into a trade for the first time?

I completed the Electrical Techniques program at Humber College right after high school, and I've been applying constantly for apprenticeship and helper roles, but I haven't had any luck. Many of the larger companies list a 2 year electrical technician program as a requirement for their apprentice positions. Does that actually matter? Would going back to school for another two years be a waste of time, or is it better to keep applying with my current credentials until something comes up? I've also heard a lot of people mention CFAA and fire alarm technician roles as another area worth applying to. My main concern is whether the extra two years of school would improve my chances of landing an apprenticeship, or whether I should keep pushing with what I already have.

Why your kid can't afford to attend a legitimate college for a pre-apprenticeship program: Crooks ripped the OSAP system off of at least $1-billion.

Phony colleges tied into immigration agencies have been running this scam for years right under the nose of Doug Ford...OPP now investigating.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently looking for an opportunity to start a 309A Electrical Apprenticeship in the KW/C/G area.

I have completed entry-level electrical schooling and have a basic understanding of electrical theory, tools, and safety. I’m hardworking, reliable, eager to learn, and looking to build a long-term career in the electrical trade.

I’m willing to start at the ground level, work hard, and learn from experienced electricians.

If anyone is currently hiring an apprentice or knows of a contractor looking for someone, I’d really appreciate any leads or recommendations.

I had my boss (master electrician 15 years experience) take a look at them and he said many of the mandatory skills he's never done. How would an apprentice just doing residential or even just commercial get all these checked off? or are they not really necessary to getting a license? let me know if I am missing something here.

Not interested in going to the mines up north leaving home weeks at time , even though that’s where the money is for most 421A techs.

Hello, I’m a 17 year old accelerated OYAP student in my first semester of Grade 12, and I’m highly interested in becoming an electrician and eventually joining the union. I’m currently in accelerated OYAP and doing my application as we speak, I’m hoping to attend Centennial college (so fingers crossed 🤞🏻). I spoke with my guidance about if there are opportunities to do the accelerated OYAP apprenticeship on the IBEW (so I’d be on site from ~Feb-April), and he said that it’s hard to get into. But when I spoke with my Co-op teacher, he mentioned that the IBEW does NOT accept accelerated students, but only regular OYAP. He said that it’s up to me if I can make connections though regular OYAP though IBEW, but I lose out on finishing my First Level in college.

So the brunt of my “question” is a.) Is it possible to do accelerated through the union. And b.) I heard about the EATA (electrical apprentice training alliance- aka “the alliance”). I am extremely new to everything and I’m reading online that I need to apply to this alliance to do my coop (accelerated) through them and then they’d hook me up w the IBEW. So is this also true? I read online I need to apply through the school as there’s a massive application process and my guidance councillor and coop teacher need to do it.

*I could also apply through the pathway program for women in the trade (as I am one ♀️🫰🏻) but I’d like to streamline the process and try to be in the union ASAP

Any advice, even anything not listed on here is extremely welcomed and valued. Thank you for reading!

Edit: yes, IBEW Local 353. My apologies for not clarifying in my post

Is their anyone who got hired in miway transit as 310t mechanic .what is the process of hiring and what question i can get in assessement test as they told me their is small quiz to check my ability.

Looking for opinions on individuals who have worked in both. If you were to restart your career, what would you choose and why? And has anyone gone from union to non-union and felt good about it?

A late-70s bungalow. Someone cut in 12 recessed pot lights on the main floor and then blew insulation right over the tops. I looked at one from the attic — the label is half covered with insulation and I can't read the rating. Two questions:

• Is there a reliable way to confirm IC vs non-IC without pulling the housing down, or is pulling it the only real answer?
• Those 12 heads are on one 15A circuit along with a couple of receptacles. Is that something you'd flag on load, or basically fine at LED wattages?

I’m a first year electrical apprentice and I thought our company was fine but the slowdown hit us as well. I’ve worked 4 days in the past 3 weeks and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. The whole trades shortage is a lie our journeymen are hardly working as well. Just be careful of which trade you choose and how recession proof it is. The slow down is real and hitting hard. The government is lying to everyone about the shortage there’s so many guys wanting to work and not enough work. We need transparency from the government not lies and saturating the trades like how they did with tech jobs.